


Sigil

by baeconandeggs, BlazeJones



Category: EXO (Band)
Genre: Action/Adventure, Alternate Universe - Magic, Alternate Universe - Witchcraft, Emotional Hurt/Comfort, Enemies to Friends to Lovers, Eventual Romance, Fantasy, Fluff, Gore, Human!Baekhyun, Investigations, M/M, Mentions of Murder, Mystery, Other Magical Creatures, Slow Burn, Supernatural Elements, Trials, Violence, Witch!Chanyeol, Witches, mentions of a fictional massacre, one graphic ritual scene, slight angst
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-05-28
Updated: 2020-05-28
Packaged: 2021-03-03 03:07:26
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence
Chapters: 10
Words: 173,745
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/24427744
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/baeconandeggs/pseuds/baeconandeggs, https://archiveofourown.org/users/BlazeJones/pseuds/BlazeJones
Summary: Baekhyun was only supposed to go out clubbing and have drinks with friends, but the night quickly turns sour when he sees something he wasn't supposed to and now the human is the key witness in a landmark case against The Covens Three. Three of the most powerful coven leaders in Seoul...and one just can't seem to leave him alone.
Relationships: Byun Baekhyun/Park Chanyeol, Kim Jongdae | Chen/Kim Minseok | Xiumin
Comments: 65
Kudos: 301
Collections: BAE2020





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> **Prompt:** BAE107  
>  **Disclaimer: baeconandeggs/the mods is/are not the author/s of this story. Authors will be credited and tagged after reveals.** The celebrities' names/images are merely borrowed and do not represent who the celebrities are in real life. No offense is intended towards them, their families or friends. The original characters and plot are the property of the author. No money is being made from this fictional work. No copyright infringement is intended.
> 
> **Author's Note:** I would like to give a HUGE shout out to the patient mods who gave me extensions and allowed me to finish this monster of a fic. Even more respect goes out to my amazing beta reader Z, you've truly been my rock and I couldn't have completed this without you and your amazing ideas! (Some wormed their way in here and they're great!). She hyped me up and always believed in me even when I didn't believe in myself, so you can thank her for pushing me through the rough of it. Also, this is my first COMPLETED fic and I'm quite happy with how it turned out, and I wish you guys to have a happy and fulfilling experience when reading my work! Have fun! It's a rollercoaster!

Baekhyun got fired.

According to his bos s , he was ‘ _ sorrowfully let go due to budget cuts _ .’

In other words, he got fired, along with seventy other people in the IT division. Luckily his job wasn’t his life, the brunette practically had to drag himself out of bed each morning to sit at a desk with his out-of-prescription glasses and stare at a brightly lit screen amidst a hundred other people plunged into darkness. Plus, the basement levels were always freezing to cool the hundreds of rows of gigantic servers, and Baekhyun always hated being the one people turned to clean their damned motherboards. It was a tedious task that included a handheld vacuum and multiple bottles of compressed air.

Baekhyun remembered during the last week of his job having that exact duty, staring down in the dark basement of his workplace at a colorfully lit server, carefully dismantling the motherboard to clean off the dust since a high-tech company couldn’t invent something simple to clean a small circuit board filled with wires. He had stopped in the middle of mindlessly pushing the canned airs trigger when it hit him, just how much he absolutely  _ hated _ his job.

Baekhyun, whether unfortunate or not, had the horrible luck of having his wishes come true when he had wished for a new job that didn’t suck the life out of him. He didn’t even have time to look for a new one when he got the call from the boss, getting that stupid two weeks’ notice before being sent packing at his desk. How humiliating for a senior programmer to be fired, given the boot over bright eyed rookies who couldn’t tell even the difference between a class and an overloaded constructor.

Nobody had even said goodbye as he packed away the few valuables from his desk, shutting off his computer after transferring over his files and documents to his HDD- his box wasn’t even half full and felt light enough to be empty. Baekhyun glided soundlessly between the gridlocked programmers, watching in pity of their blue glowed faces marred with dark eye bags and ghastly complexion.

The brunette was given a slap on the shoulder and a month’s pay in advance as they all but shoved him out the door. Baekhyun tripped on the first step and ended up stepping on his fallen glasses, hearing the soul-crushing sound of glass crunching before shifting to find his wire rimmed frames bent and shattered.

The sad part was that Baekhyun couldn’t find it in himself to care, kicking the old frames and watching them skid across the concrete before turning on his heel and meandering towards his apartment. His home was anything but lavish, water damage littering the walls and the lock on the front door had an odd way of sticking so you had to flick your wrist a certain way and tug just the right amount before it fell loose. Baekhyun all but threw his stuff on the floor before wrestling the door shut, getting out the cheapest soju in his fridge and popping the bottle open with a bent spoon.

He’d been passed up for so many promotions, bullied by his floor's manager and sent to do the rookie jobs until he inevitably fell behind on his programs. Baekhyun hated everything and everyone but couldn’t bother to bring that emotion anywhere but further inwards until he was apathetic to the crying junior programmers crawling to his desk for help. He saw their shining tears as they would break down at his desk begging for help as they collapsed to their knees, offering money or coffee just for a little guidance.

He remembered their broken faces as he turned them away, having his own programs and problems to worry about. Baekhyun would walk onto the floor the next day and see three more empty desks than before, only bothering to drop by to steal a stray pen or pencil before forgetting there had even been a person sitting there.

When the boss man had given him his notice, he felt a flare of anger before it died to nothing. Baekhyun had taken one look at the greasy, balding man before him as he attempted to dupe Baekhyun with his fake smile of empathy. He only had five words to say to him.

“Your wife’s cheating on you.”

Baekhyun only felt a small victory as he walked out of the office overlooking the conveyer belt of people below, almost disgusted at himself for staying here as long as he did, disappointed he hadn’t been the one to cut ties. The brunette simply drank away his problems since he had nothing better to do, considering he didn’t have to clock into ungodly hours and get unfair pay every few weeks, as if he was an afterthought.

To make matters worse, his lights suddenly flickered out and the horrid children on the floor below started to incessantly screech as if they were getting slaughtered- but Baekhyun wasn’t that lucky. After twenty minutes of trying to block out the Satan spawns below, the human took all of his self-control in stride as he entered the hallway and past his neighbor near the stairs that loved playing loud girl group music.

It started to sprinkle as Baekhyun walked down the open stairwell, and by the time he reached the ground floor to make his way to the landlord across the roofless ‘courtyard’- it used to be a cracked parking lot until the building was built around the pavement and weeds took it as their own- Baekhyun was soaked from the harsh downpour. He banged on the glass doors that didn’t budge, much too annoyed to care what his landlord thought of his constant pounding if she could even hear over the rain.

The old hag squinted against the grey barrage muting the glass doors, hair a chemical black with twigs sticking through the rat’s nest. Jung banged right back, screeching something unintelligible before turning to walk away. Baekhyun used both fists and shook the door with enough force that his hands grew numb, the door suddenly wrenching open and an umbrella being jabbed into his face.

Baekhyun held his cheek as he backed up, snarling as Jung hobbled out of the door with her obnoxiously large umbrella unfurling and splashing the human with more water. Her eyes were so thin she looked as if she were always squinting, face and cheeks sagging to form a permanent frown and enough skin to create a pair of hideous boots. She jabbed a claw tipped digit into his rib cage, voice croaking over the rain like nails on a chalkboard.

“The fuck do you want you insufferable mistake.”

Baekhyun huffed in annoyance, bending down to look her in the eyes as he shouted loud enough to knock the woman back with its sheer volume. “Why is the  _ fucking _ power out you old crone!”

The soaked brunette dodged her umbrella on instinct, watching as it sliced across the air so fast that Jung didn’t even get a droplet of water on herself before it was back leaning against her shoulder. She seemed content not to answer, her beady little eyes boring into his own.

“Those intolerable children are screaming  _ again, _ and I want it to stop!”

“I don’t get paid to deal with your issues, figure them out yourself  _ human _ .” She said the word like a curse, spatting it as if it were poison and shuffling back towards the door. Baekhyun shouted in frustration, tempted to kick the old lady to see how far she’d fly.

“What about the power!”

_ “Not my problem!” _

The double doors slammed shut, leaving Baekhyun seething in the courtyard and festering in a plethora of nasty schemes. He smothered a nearby weed, kicking at the air before storming back to his side of the complex. He made a stop on the floor below his and kicked the door until it shuttered, hearing the children scream before yelling profanities unpleasant enough to leave a sailor flushing red.

By the time he slumped back into his apartment, Baekhyun was curled on the couch with two different bottles of soju as he stared at the black of the TV screen. Lightning flashed and thunder crashed, the world beyond his windows a blur of grey and black. He texted his only human friend the bad news and watched as an error popped up,  _ message failed to send _ .

Perhaps it was better that way, no need to worry his perfect friend and his perfect boyfriend with his endless issues. For now, alcohol could hear out his woes and maybe then he could find the effort to actually go outside and do something with his meaningless life.

————————————

Baekhyun went three days without electricity and one without water, the humidity of the constant rain dampening his mood swings and making it nearly impossible to fall into comfortable slumber. He was out of every form of alcohol and spent most of the day sprawled in the middle of the living room, starfished on the floor for hours at a time. He didn’t bother getting up to go to bed; it was too difficult to sleep, really- it was too difficult to do anything.

When the rain finally stopped, there was a knock at his door, soft and reserved. Baekhyun knew exactly who it was and didn’t bother to get up since he knew the pair outside had a key to his apartment, listening for the telltale sign of the struggle to get his door open. When the door finally did open, nothing could have prepared him for the onslaught of  _ affection _ that poured out of Jongdae and Minseok as they smothered him with their combined presence.

Apparently, a friend losing their job was a pretty damn big deal.

“Baekhyun- I could only imagine how  _ horrible _ you must feel- “

“How can we make it any better? Minseok could prepare some food, we can go out to eat- on us- “

“Take me to the nearest bar.” Was all Baekhyun could mumble out, bored from counting every crack and blemish in his ceiling. “I want alcohol.”

They were, of course, hesitant at first. It came down to a compromise of Minseok cooking dinner as to not drink on an empty stomach, and Jongdae paying for everything as long as Baekhyun didn’t drink until he blacked out or vomited.

Baekhyun just kicked the white haired Minseok from where he still laid on the floor, urging him to hurry up and cook some damn food so they could leave already. Jongdae had the greatest struggle of all as he attempted to drag his fellow human to his own bedroom to get ready, trying to talk him into walking for at least ten minutes before resorting to rolling him there with his foot.

Together- mostly Jongdae- they picked out a nice pair of worn combat boots, a plum colored blouse made of cheap silk, leather pants to the brunette’s dismay, and the most expensive object in the human wardrobe- an authentic leather jacket. Baekhyun laid limp just to make his friends' life more difficult, watching his godly patience slowly chip away. Jongdae wrestled on the outfit, halfway through makeup when Minseok called for food. Baekhyun got up and darted out just to piss off the other human, giving the latter doe eyes when he came out steaming.

“I’m stealing some of your clothes,” Jongdae huffed through his food, shoveling enough into his mouth to muffle his words and puff out his cheeks. “I’m not going clubbing looking like  _ this _ .”

“We’re clubbing?” The sprite asked, blowing on his food and accidentally covering it in frost, he huffed a pout as he folded his food in a petulant fashion.

“Simply going to a  _ bar _ won’t cure Baekhyun’s need for some excitement- I mean  _ look _ at him, he looks so  _ pathetic! _ ”

“Thanks, Jongdae,” The former mumbled, just to remind his loud friend he was still there and could  _ indeed _ hear everything he was saying. Though when thinking about it...Baekhyun did really need some excitement. Life had been a downward spiral, a rut only broken by being fired from his job. If he didn’t find something worthy of his time, to break this horrible cycle of sleepless nights and staring at the ceiling- he was going to drive himself mad.

“I don’t see an issue,” Minseok said, pondering as he stared down at his nearly empty bowl. Jongdae shrugged, getting up only to grab their bowls and dump them in the sink, heading towards Baekhyun’s bedroom with a shouted  _ ‘I wasn’t asking’ _ thrown over his shoulder. Baekhyun stared at his lone bowl, still half full as Minseok was already up to clean the dishes because he was  _ freaky _ like that.

Though it meant nothing, Baekhyun wished upon whatever star may be falling that this night would hold something that his life has been failing to give him. Whether it be excitement, a fuzzed memory, or perhaps meaning- Baekhyun just wanted  _ something _ ,  _ anything _ really.

He really should have stayed home.

“I’m so sorry about this- “

“It’s fine Jongdae, we all know sprites are lightweights.”

Said sprite was mumbling gibberish into his boyfriend's sweat slicked skin, crystalline eyes changing colors as they reflected the vast collection of neon lights adorning the humid street. The air was thick but Baekhyun felt surprisingly clear, his mind not near enough muddled to be buzzing, yet just enough so to cause his body to feel the weight of alcohol running through his system.

He needed more, he needed something to break his sated and sullen life from its continuous hallmark reruns. Dammit, it wasn’t even Christmas.

“We can call you a cab- “

“No really, it’s alright.” Baekhyun sighed as he glanced between the sprite who could no longer seem to use his legs, and the poor soul that was holding him up. “I was planning on a few more drinks, and the night is still young!”

Jongdae still didn’t look convinced, cradling Minseok and holding a hesitance that caused their Uber driver to honk in irritation. “Damn pixies.” He mumbled but made no move to get inside.

“Really Dae, I’ll be fine. Now I won’t be third wheeling anymore! More alcohol for me!”

Baekhyun tried to match the enthusiasm in his voice to his expressions, trying to push the pair towards the car so as to not lower their precious customer ratings. The pixie was honking louder, in great succession, but Jongdae still stayed.

“Jongdae...”

He sighed, flicking his eyes between his best friend and the car one last time before cursing and yanking the passenger door open. “Stop your damn honking before I shove that pixie stick so far up your ass, you’ll be spitting more sparkles than an elven stripper.”

Effectively slamming the door, Jongdae opened the back and shoved his half-conscious boyfriend unceremoniously into the backseat. The pixie was mumbling something in Alvinian as the human sidled beside the sprite, looking back towards Baekhyun one last time, opening his mouth as if to say-

“I’ll be fine.” Baekhyun made sure to enunciate every syllable, with matching hand gestures as well, just to really hammer it home.

Finally, Jongdae seemed to take the hint. Perhaps Minseok drooling ice and frost was also a factor, but Baekhyun wanted to feel like he was making a difference. The human watched as they drove away in a mad frenzy, their driver causing more than a few angry curses and hexes being thrown their way.

Baekhyun sighed fondly, before belatedly sighing in defeat. Nothing was sadder than drinking alone, and it seemed he was pulled into yet another feedback loop. He could already see the night playing out behind his closed eyes- drink some shitty alcohol, get some sorry sap to pay for it, go home with said sorry sap, and get the fuck out of there before morning crests.

Why was life so boring?

Baekhyun watched as a group of paint stained delinquents conversed in a nearby alleyway, a heterosexual couple clad in skimpy clothes were near fucking on a street lamp, and a girl who couldn’t have been older than nineteen was passed out cold by the storm drains. A homeless man tucked into the corner of the club’s brickwork eyeing the unconscious girl as if her dirtied party dress wasn’t stolen from her parents closet and a wallet could actually be found anywhere on her person.

It was all just the same.

The human simply sighed, glancing down at his nails that have been bitten to the bed and back to the street where his friends had disappeared. He checked his phone, wincing at its ungodly brightness.

_ 12:01 am _ .

The night really was young, and Baekhyun didn’t feel like running back to his crusty apartment to self-loath. He’d much rather self-loath elsewhere, preferably a place where the alcohol was as cheap as the weed they were selling out back.

At that moment, he decided that walking the dark streets at night couldn’t be any worse than what inner demons he would find waiting for him back home. Baekhyun just wanted to  _ forget _ , why was that so damn hard? Why couldn’t the world just smile down at him for once? Let him have one night where it didn’t feel like everyone was scorning him for simply  _ existing _ .

Baekhyun kicked a loosened piece of cement, strolling in the opposite way his friends had driven off to.

A little walk never hurt anybody.

————————————

Baekhyun didn’t know where he was anymore, managing to wander into a part of the city where the shadows grew dark and people were scarce. The streets were barren of vomit and stumbling pedestrians, no neon lights to burn his corneas. Instead, the streets were lined with dull hues of low-rise buildings and barred convenience stores.

The occasional skyscraper would jut out between wonky townhomes, alcoves of greenery dipping between gaps of buildings with their sprouts of misty blue flowers. Though the more he walked, the worse his sudden onslaught of fatigue would get. Random red blooms swayed in between the slots of sidewalk he wandered, but he couldn’t feel any wind.

Baekhyun was starting to consider turning around and walking home, something in his stomach wasn’t agreeing with him, as a pounding in his temples drowned out the high-pitched locusts that sang from beyond. His legs grew heavy and his tongue tasted oddly of metal, but then everything lifted as a cool gust of wind whistled by.

_ Must be that shitty beer _ .

Baekhyun walked a few more paces in silence, before stopping to stare at his surroundings. He had never been here before, which was odd considering how the human had lived in Seoul his entire life. He thought he had seen it all, but as Baekhyun crouched down to study a drooling yellow pedal, he guessed he hadn’t.

The sound of breaking glass ripped him out of his stupor, head snapping towards the loud noise in the quiet night. A colorful kaleidoscope of light streamed in from a pub to his left, its sage green door encapsulating broken shards of stained glass for a window. Baekhyun stood up to look down at the hidden alcove steps, the uneven cement causing mysterious liquids to pool in the depressions.

There was more muffled noise filtering through the crooked door, lights shifting as shadows crossed by. Baekhyun, who had left his better judgement somewhere along the storm drain near that homeless man, descended the steps gingerly with clammy palms. His sticky hands came back with flecks of green as he felt his way down the steps, the scuffle inside the pub growing with his closing distance.

The area around the door was tight, only enough space to open the wobbly thing and jiggle it close. A buzzing trash bag was slumped to his right, a faded sign signifying the pubs withered name hanging off one hinge above. Baekhyun reached for the doorknob, grasping the ornate bronze and showing himself inside.

The door was surprisingly smooth as it swung open, a bell ringing clearly throughout the establishment. Baekhyun cringed at the noise, flinching as he searched his new surroundings for glaring eyes. Only, he was met with vacant booths and two hordes of people having an intense stare down by the bar top. Two men were leading the tension, one clad in a tight leather jacket and raven hair that gleamed in the light like shifting oil. The other, a man with glittering white skin and a soft jaw, hair falling gracefully across his forehead in iron shined strands.

The men looked otherworldly, one cut from jagged obsidian and the other shaped from shined pearl. The former was growling at the Adonis, jagged nose brushing up against the others as he looked ready to spit in his face. Baekhyun quickly took cover in one of the empty booths along the wall, sitting obediently on the rough wood that sprang splinters.

“You fuckers have some  _ gall _ . Coming into  _ our _ territory and stealing from  _ our _ vaults, all while expecting us to sit pretty like some fucking  _ whores _ . Well let me tell you something you lustrous piece of shit- “

The leather clad man stepped impossibly closer, speaking into the other man's curved smirk. “-I’m not some little pussy like your joke of a coven leader, I will beat your pretty little smirk so far into that fucking face of yours that you’ll be better off dead than wasting anymore of my  _ fucking time _ .”

The elegant men and women that stood behind the pearly man tensed, taking one collective step forward before the latter laughed. His body shook as his melodious crackle scratched at the air like a dying cat, teeth gleaming razors in the dim pub light. The opposite side of the room growled, the sound rumbling the establishments loose green floorboards.

The bartender made to go around the counter, perhaps to try and defuse the situation, but both men slammed their palms down in tandem without so much as sparing him a glance. The man cowered back.

“You’ll have to do much better than simply threatening your savage violence against  _ me _ . In fact, spew anymore nonsense and I’ll be forced to pinch your cheeks.”

“Perhaps you could take this outside- “

The dark man swung his arm in a large arc, the sweaty bartender being sent backwards by some invisible force into the colorful racks of alcohol. The shelves caved under the force, glass and alcohol spraying out as the bartender crumbled to the floor.

Something seemed to snap then, the tension breaking as a whole dam of chaos was unleashed upon the pub.

“That was  _ our steward _ fucker, you’ve just committed an act of  _ war! _ ”

It was like the two opposing sides of ying and yang were colliding, blurring the stark line between them as the shadowy, humanoid figures behind the leather dressed man lunged at the ethereal crowd of equally pissed off people.

Everything happened so fast, the human reacting purely on instinct as he thrust himself under the booth's table right as the sound of howling and hyena laughter set off near his head. Glass shattered nearby, someone screamed, all hell had broken loose.

Baekhyun watched as feet were flashing and passing quickly across his vision from his spot under the table, a creeping sensation of static dancing across his skin. The air was hyperactive, breathing,  _ thrumming _ with so much life Baekhyun felt suffocated. He was drowning in an ocean of energy that expanded and pulsated in every possible space, trying to invade his lungs and set his blood alight.

Refracted light flashed and flickered, gravity was fighting against its own weight, liquid shimmering and bright slithered across the floor not even a foot from where his hand was braced against the booth. Baekhyun felt his head lighten, vision growing white before a crash was heard among the shelves of mysterious alcohol. Tears escaped from the pressure building in his chest, pain aching his bones as if they were being squeezed, and Baekhyun watched in faraway awe and fright as his tears were swept away from their shimmery cascade to join floating slivers of water crisscrossing the bar.

He suddenly felt very empty, the human creeping forward and around the table's pole to see the absolute chaos that took hold of the pub. This wasn’t some usual bar fight, he belatedly grasped, this ran so much  _ deeper _ . Baekhyun felt a small trickle of fear as an inkling of realization dawned upon him, of what danger beheld his future, all when he watched a man get launched into a wall of exposed brick.

A lady with a stark black line encompassing her eyes stalked across the space and ripped the man out of the brick, allowing him to ragdoll to the floor. Baekhyun had to look away when the woman thrusted a materialized stick of light into the man, an inhuman screech echoing long after the weapon speared him. She let him slide like butter off her bright spear, leaving him eyes open and bleeding ebony on the floor.

Baekhyun had to get out, his flight or fight instincts kicking in full swing. He just wanted to run as far away as possible from this atavistic  _ nightmare _ that pulsed through the air. The delayed feeling of  _ wrongness _ slammed into him so quickly he could feel the acrid rise of burning bile in his throat, body shuddering against the force racking his body.

He barely crawled out from under the table when a body went slamming into it, wooden shards shooting out in an explosion of pointed splinters. Baekhyun‘s limbs were numb as he ducked for cover under the nearest table, it’s chairs long since decimated. A feral scream sounded like a battle cry, a return screech not far behind as more explosions caused a high tinnitus within his ears.

Baekhyun scanned the pub, black stalagmites littering the floor in various degrees. A wild wind tousled his hair and violently slammed his head into the table's legs as spiderweb fissures cracked across the walls. The floor whined as it animated to life, the planks shivering and moaning as if being tortured. More wind whipped about and Baekhyun could see feet surrounding him struggling to maintain their grips as the gusts grew and spun into a much more powerful storm.

The human knew he wouldn’t survive for much longer, his head aching from the blow to the table and eyes stinging against the continual light show. But through the growing shitstorm, Baekhyun spotted an oak door so plain it seemed to blend into the cracking walls of the pub. The front door was too far away, the bar  _ teeming _ with belligerent creatures, leaving his only option the door. Even if it turned out just to be a broom closet, anything was better than getting swept away into the growing cyclone that was starting to sweep up dangerous shards of glass and wood.

The creatures dark and light were struggling to stand their ground, the wind violently sweeping up everything in its path. The human more so felt than saw his table go flying as suddenly wind was wrapping around his lithe figure and picking him up in its invisible cradle, spinning him like dirty laundry. The room blurred and Baekhyun passed several of the previously fighting occults before witnessing their scrambling bodies being swept away from him.

In the middle of it all was the pearly man with iron hair, sheer top whipping in the wind as his hair stayed still amidst the chaos. His eyes were liquid mercury, chromatic and round, ever shifting and toxic, and they toiled when he met the human’s bright eyes in a deadlock. For the briefest of moments, the world stopped spinning, the wind ceased, and the squelch of bodies thudding to their death halted.

Baekhyun fell to the floor, the cyclone spinning without him in its grasp. He looked up in fear as he was mere feet away from the eye of the storm, words dying before they even make it to his tongue. The occult simply looked at him, roiled eyes settling with a hardened clarity.

“ _ Go _ .”

Baekhyun didn’t need to be told twice.

The front door was frosted over with black stalagmites, the substance slowly creeping over the still quivering floorboards. Baekhyun turned and stumbled over to the oak door, ducking to avoid an angry woman's swinging claws and yapped curses. He gave one harsh tug and fell over himself getting through the door, slamming it shut behind him as the world beyond the door was stifled.

The brunette closed his eyes, the pallid apparition of the occult's tensed face burned into his eyelids. The way the muscle in his jaw worked in tandem to the indecision in his eyes, such a beautiful man with too much power, the world spinning around him as if he were the sun itself. He seemed just as important; burned Baekhyun’s eyes all the same.

Baekhyun didn’t wish to stick around any longer, blindly grappling at the walls to pull himself up, coming across a velvety length of fabric resilient to his weight. The human breathed in the drapes scent, standing on shaky feet and recoiling at the smoky smell. After a moment, he was able to backtrack away from the curtain and look down the endless hallway before him.

The hallway was tight, made of stacked brick, and painted the same color scheme as a starless sky. The walls were lined with a bountiful of similar curtains, every couple of feet draped in the dark plum. Baekhyun stared down the hallway, walking forward even if it hurt his eyes to watch the end of the hallway getting no closer to him as it did a few seconds ago. He looked behind himself and felt sick to see nothing but a wall, a plum curtain pulled back to reveal painted brick.

The human grabbed the nearest bundle of fabric and paced himself down the corridor by each drape, gripping two blankets of plum only to let one go and move to the next. It was lame game of Tarzan, Baekhyun’s feet never leaving the ground.

Shockingly, it worked.

Baekhyun found himself at the end of the hallway, well, nearly. There were no more drapes, only another oak door darker than before. The wood had a golden plate nailed a little above eye level that had a strange symbol carved into it, a circle with eight equal quadrants cut through. It was essentially a perfect pie, eight equal slices.

There was nowhere else to go, where Baekhyun had started was but a blip in the throbbing shadows beyond. The longer the human stayed in the hallway, the more he began to feel unwell, almost as if he were being watched. Without another thought in his frightened mind, Baekhyun turned the handle and walked in.

He seemed to have stumbled into an office, the only furniture being a wall of cabinets, a sleek desk, a wingback chair, and two smaller leather chairs sat in front of the desk. He waddled over to the desk, but the only items on it was a bundle of sage and a ballpoint pen. The rest of the small room was barren, not even a potted succulent to brighten up the dull and lightless room.

Baekhyun searched the room for an exit, trying to open the cupboards to no avail and finding not even a single dust bunny beneath the impeding desk. He sighed, there really was nothing here. The human made to go back out the way he came in, dejected, when the unmistakable cadence of voices filtered through the wooden door.

His heart spiked, eyes blurring for a second as his whole body was thrown into a frenzy. Baekhyun backed away from the door and in a panic, went flitting around the room for a hiding spot. There was nothing in the small office, not even a damn rug! He was about to cry, who knows what kind of creature was about to walk through that door? The only thing Baekhyun knew was just how pissed it would be at the sight of a human snooping about.

Finally, just as the approaching strangers’ incomprehensible words started to take form in hushed tones, Baekhyun noticed a small cabinet door on the bottom shelf was cracked open. He retched it open and folded his petite form into the small box like a contortionist, fear making him do questionable things as he breathed into his upper thigh and attempted to shut the door. Apparently, there was a reason the door was cracked open, the jam broken and leaving the humans fingers straining to keep it as shut as possible.

A moment passed, metal clicking and sliding in place as the door glided open. The dark from the hallway permeated into the office, the room vacant of any light switch or fixture yet a greenish glow floated into the room. A pair of freshly shined dress shoes stepped in, pausing at the gateway. Baekhyun couldn’t see past the lower abdomen where the man’s suit jacket cinched his thin waist, but somewhere above his line of sight the green seemed to pervade eerily.

Satisfied, the man continued in, two pairs of worn boots following closely behind. The door shut and there was silence. The leather swathed seat groaned as the shiny dress shoes from before laid poised mere feet away from Baekhyun’s head, one idly bouncing in thought as the man presumably pondered.

“The blue one...” His voice was like a hiss of an arrow, the flick of a serpent’s tongue. “He was pretty...sadly, that was about all he was good for. I don’t  _ deal _ with his kind…do you understand?”

The two men nodded, though Baekhyun couldn’t see. The strange man continued to bask in the charged silence, all the while he swayed his chair back and forth with a juxtaposed coyness. Baekhyun caught glimpses of the source of glow, growing brighter when the man swung his body towards the human, and duller when it swung back. He was a steady pendulum, calm and orderly, every swing in time with the faint tapping of his armrest.

“Are his vermin here? This is their  _ impecunious _ place...”

Baekhyun thought back to the bar fight, of the gorgeous men and women draped in gossamer as they stared down people ripped and sewn from the shadows.

“We made sure there was... _ incentive _ . There’s no need to worry about them anymore, they shouldn’t be a  _ problem _ .” The stranger snickered, though it sounded like an inhaled hack.

“Then that leaves us with  _ him _ .” The man spat, venom dripping from his words as Baekhyun could imagine his slithering tail constricting around some poor little rat. He stood up suddenly, determined steps sauntering to the closed door. Though he stopped just before, body turned slightly to the duo still poised at the desk. He audibly sniffed the air.

“And I know you smell  _ human _ …find it and kill it, I hate their  _ stench _ .” The door slammed open with a great tremor, the stranger disappearing into the abyss beyond the door frame, even his steps gone.

However, the two men didn’t follow.

“Do you think it’s  _ really _ necessary to do all this? All just for one  _ measly _ witch?”

The silent one shrugged. “Best not question the boss, you know what he’s trying to accomplish, it isn’t easy. I know none of us could do it, so let him have his fear tactics. Sometimes I think he even  _ smiles _ .” The man’s partner snickered. “Oh, and don’t forget that other witch.  _ He who must not be named _ \- I swear that man has been up his ass since the beginning.”

At that mention, the ugly one growled. But his silent partner said nothing more, opting to instead walk out into the hallway.

“I just wanna kill that human,” the last man grumbled a whine, lumbering towards the door with the slightest limp. “ _ It’s been too long _ .”

With that, the door closed and Baekhyun was nearly purple in the face with how little he allowed himself to breathe. He was in such a state of shock that he couldn’t cry, couldn’t scream, couldn’t  _ talk _ \- everything was moments from crashing down and all he knew was that he needed to get out of this hell as  _ fast as possible _ .

They were  _ witches _ goddammit, fucking  _ witches _ . What luck to wander into the middle of a witch’s scheme,  _ blood-lusting _ witches who seclude themselves in their own damn  _ district _ to get away from the rest of humanity. What the hell were they doing outside? Why weren’t they out and about in their own damn side of town? But most importantly...why fucking  _ witches _ .

Baekhyun hit his head against his knees when he knew the men weren’t coming back, cursing the whole damn world that he ended up running into the worst of the  _ worst _ occults. Hell, he’d take his chances with a starving vampire or a werewolf on a full blue moon than dealing with any sort of witch. They were bad news, like walking omens with the whole world ready to contort at their fingertips. They could liquify his innards with a look-  _ no one _ should have that kind of power.

Not to mention, humans were frail creatures, witches’ favorite little dolls. It used to be a game of how long they could push one of their human toys before their bodies couldn’t handle the foreign magic, sometimes a simple healing spell could kill a human. Human bodies weren’t meant for magic, nor will they ever be. Baekhyun wasn’t about to volunteer himself to get torn apart from the inside out, he didn’t even want to  _ smell _ magic.

The human pushed open the creaking cupboard, sliding out like spam from a can. Every joint protested the movement, his neck twisted all the wrong way with every muscle below the ankle numb with sleep. Baekhyun messily slapped his feet against the floor with eyes trained on the door, struggling to stand on something he couldn’t feel.

He didn’t spare the room another look, wanting to forget even stepping into this cursed place with no succulents. Peeping under the door was proved futile, as did pressing his ear against the buzzing silence. It took a small pep talk or two before Baekhyun slowly opened the door, eyes aching against the shifting black fog that consumed the hallway.

The blackness was ebbing forward, swallowing the plum curtains and painted brick. He stepped out into the cold, emptiness echoing through his chest as he took a tentative step towards the mist. That was all it took for his body to retch violently away, bile burning his throat as he gagged. Baekhyun stumbled blindly away from the crawling mist, instincts set alight.

Through bleary eyes he saw an iron door, moonlit shadows significantly brighter than the abyss behind him shifting through the gap under the door. Baekhyun staggered forward, sweaty palms gripping the cool curved handle. He pressed down, leaning his weight against the plain door as it hurtled open.

The door didn’t have enough power to hit the wall behind it, slowing to hang awkwardly in the air. A gust of humid air swept across Baekhyun’s heated and moist skin, a breath of fresh air to the building's strange stuffed atmosphere. He let his body fumble down the two concrete steps into the muddy alleyway, leaning against a rank green dumpster propped open by some overflowing trash.

Pools of mystery liquid littered the pocked ground, all sorts of odor wafting through the thin break in buildings. Baekhyun thought it smelt like freedom.

The human turned around and gently pushed the door back into place, the iron melding to rotted oak and a brazen round knob as it clicked closed. Baekhyun blinked once. Baekhyun blinked twice. He reached for the door to find it locked in place, jiggling the stiff knob. For all the odd things that’s happened tonight,  _ that _ he deemed the strangest.

There was a clap of clattering metal and Baekhyun dropped to a squat, pressing against the peeling green of the dumpster as his heart dropped. Somebody cursed, the sound of something thudding and a sigh followed. The wet wash excreted from the dumpster was more potent towards the ground, the brunette having trouble keeping himself quiet with his gag reflex wanting to banish away the stench invading his senses.

With every nerve in his body working against him, Baekhyun peered around the corner, praying to a neglected god to see a drunkard upchucking into a trash can. His heart squeezed painfully when he saw a dark haired man with a black line bleeding from the crux of his lip down his neck, cold gold eyes glaring at a lump of muscled man with a five o’clock shadow more patches of skin than actual hair. The larger man was bent over, broad shoulders practically hiding the petite gold-eyed man as he was trying to correct an upheaved trash can.

“You’re useless.”

Baekhyun recognized his voice.

“Fuck off fairy.”

Baekhyun recognized that voice too.

“I’ll show you who’s the fairy- “

“Aren’t you supposed to be the sensible one?”

Walls of white materialized on either end of the alleyway, coming up and over the space in a domed swoop before shuddering to a cold grey. The new enclosure flashed every few seconds to reveal the atmosphere, the world outside the bubble. The sky would wink from above, the streets empty from their usual stream, and faraway lampposts provided their dull glow. Baekhyun was terrified, picking the worst time to let everything from the night crash on him.

A man in a perfectly pressed suit waltzed in from the abyss, long shadow caressing the wall with inky hair that bore no shine. The suit had pinstripes, light grey against the dark base material. His back was facing Baekhyun, but he had the same shiny shoes and thin waist. Though, his shoulders were anything but small, broad muscle corded across the wings of his back.

The humid air suddenly felt very cold, breaths coming in white puffs as the air was charged with a certain ambience that made Baekhyun sweat. This was the kind of man no one could look in the eye, the kind that had sharp cheekbones and a mouth cut across the face like an afterthought. He was a serpent, not like the greasy rats infesting businesses, but the snake that slithered their way to the top by eating through the competition. Now he was left with no one but fear as his companion, but even he was able to make it his bitch.

It was the kind of man that was anything but a man, but every bit a carnal animal hungry for anything it could sink its teeth into. This was not a man, but a  _ beast _ . That much he could tell, simply by seeing the pets beneath him shrink in submission, the gold eyed one looking in shining reverie but still bowing his head like the subordinate he is.

“I wish for you not to waste my time with banter, I choose  _ you _ .” His spindly fingers found themselves webbed beneath the small man’s chin, craning it up to look him in his eyes. The gold glowed green. “Don’t  _ disappoint me _ .”

Baekhyun felt like he was intruding on something intimate, even after the eye contact was broken. The muscled man grunted his assent, moving aside for the first time.

A man laid there- no- a boy, Baekhyun couldn’t tell. The man was an Adonis, strikingly similar to the pristine male that had created that windstorm in the pub. He had full cheeks and a boyish face; fluffy neon hair fuzzed at the ends with exposure to humidity. He was like cotton candy, airy and a shade of blue that looked too sickly sweet to be healthy.

He also bore a shiner along his left cheek, blooming purple with crimson ichor dribbling from his heart shaped lips. Blue dusted his eyelids, blush vanished from his cheeks and color smeared around his lips. The line of his defined throat shined in the gossamer moonlight as his skin was vacant of any hue, paler than fresh snow.

The ugly, horse of a man grabbed him by his collar and Baekhyun had to restrain a wince as he dragged the poor Adonis to the middle of the alley. The latter was glowing, his unnatural hair and pale skin catching the light whenever the enclosure flickered like a broken fixture. There was a thud as he was dropped carelessly to the ground, bruised arm rolling out like a lumpy carpet.

The golden man conjured a small satchel, pulling out four black candles and a white one. There was also an oddly shaped shovel, metal contorted to a tube-like shape that was set aside next to a knife the size of a palm. The green glow was back, it’s emerald shine basking the entire alleyway with its presence. With it, came the suited man who watched the working men with eagle eyes- back still to Baekhyun.

The two worked in silence, managing to use the tube shovel to carve an assortment of lines into the ground and placing the candles equal intervals away from each other. The white one was the furthest away, near the highest point of the formation. It was at this point Baekhyun wanted to leave, but there were a gaggle of witches by one end and the other was clear of garbage and Baekhyun didn’t even know if the flickering walls were permeable!

He also knew from earlier that the way he came in was locked and thoroughly transfigured. There was nowhere to go, and Baekhyun hoped to any deity listening that this procedure he was about to witness was not as horrible as all the witch tales he heard in school alluded to.  _ Just don’t carve out the eyes- please, anything but the eyes- _

Juxtaposed to the manhandling before, the horse man gingerly scooped up the blue boy and settled him into the middle of the candles, squiggles, and lines they’d set out before. At this gesture, the golden eyed man moved aside to allow his master to pass, the latter moving soundlessly to kneel by the boy. He kissed his forehead, softly mumbling words in another tongue that alone brought the vomit to the human’s throat.

“Let’s begin.”

The two underlings kneeled across from each other on either side of the circle, leaning on their haunches as they relaxed their hands on the outskirts of the grimy dirt. More foreign words flowed from their lips, hot and clunky in the way that they didn’t  _ fit _ in this world. Their timbre and cadence were slow drags along flesh, painful torture to the ears of anyone listening. They were  _ wrong _ , there were no other words to describe this tongue besides just  _ wrong _ .  _ Wrong wrong wrong _ -

Baekhyun looked away to let black liquid drip from his lips, wiping away black tears and trying to keep himself from spitting out the offending liquid. It filled his mouth as if it exuded from the pores of his tongue, crawling under his skin and scolding him as if he had muttered their cursed name.

They chanted more, the moon looking angry from where it glared between flickers. Everything disapproved, weeds wilting to death as they crumbled under the weight of  _ wrong _ invading the air. The boy had yet to wake and when Baekhyun brought himself to look, he wished he never had.

Shadows had gathered above his body, pushing and pulling, tearing apart and stitching back together, trying to form some  _ shape _ in the air above the boy. Light splintered out from the shadows, ugly green things melding into other shades of quickly folding hues. It didn’t seem like it was meant to be, a tense line following the slope of the suited man’s shoulders until the shadows started to retain shape.

It was a meandering blade, waved lines curving in and out before converging at a wicked point. Its hilt was ebbing shadows, undecided as to how to fit its users’ hand. Its pommel formed a rounded ornament, like a shifting black pearl, or perhaps a bubble filled with never ending black smoke. Whatever it was, it was impossibly more terrifying than the man wielding it, the same man who wore his suits like a second skin and bore a smile that stretched too wide.

The green glow blackened as the man touched the blade, the shadows consuming where his hand gripped the hilt and spreading up the blade. Weird squiggles glowed along the ebony knife, cutting through the shadows like fractured glass. Light was sucked into the dagger as if it were a black hole, slowly consuming and eating away at the atmosphere as its shadows spread like a virus.

The kneeling witches had garnered darkness within their eyes; pupils, iris, sclera- all as black as the shadows that zig-zagged through the air. The tips of their fingers were splintering, their skin blackened and peeling back to reveal more decayed skin. The same was happening around the eye, fine fissures breaking out and cracking the skin. All of this and Baekhyun had yet to notice the most important part. Sadly, he was never able to catch a glimpse of the dying glow of the sigil etched into the boy’s forehead, a five-pointed star with a crescent moon woven into the bottom four legs.

The suited man simply stared at the instrument, the wavered dagger whispering and giggling as the abyss sucked more life from this plane of existence. The human could  _ feel _ when the blade sliced through the air, tearing the shreds of reality faster than it could stitch itself back as it plunged into the chest of the blue boy.

There was silence as the underlings stopped chanting, as Baekhyun stopped breathing, as the head witch stayed on one knee with the dagger hilt deep in the boy’s chest. Something inside the human seemed to crumble, like a cavity in his chest caved under some unforeseen force. His lungs seized, his eyes burned in tandem with his throat, everything worsening as the boy’s eyes shot open as black as the witches surrounding him.

He screamed.

The inhumane screech tore the air, embodying the sound of tearing vocal cords as the dagger was twisted within the space between his ribs. The witch retched out the dagger, letting a spray of black blood splatter the expanse of his smooth skin. The boy was screaming in agony as his tainted blood filled the ravines within the circle, body paralyzed or simply bound to whatever spell he’d been cursed with.

Baekhyun couldn’t take it anymore, retching up bile behind the dumpster as the underlings continued to chant. He stumbled to his feet and used the wall to guide him to the closet end of the alleyway. The dagger was poised near the boy’s forehead as he screamed, dragging along the lines of his sigil. Baekhyun wasn’t looking, gagging, eyes blurred-

He ran into a trash can.

There was a crate upon the lid of the trash can.

It was like blurred slow motion as the crate went crashing.

Baekhyun felt three pairs of eyes snap towards him, burning the back of his exposed neck as he stared wide eyed at a rolling tin can that fell from the overturned apple crate. He looked behind him, heel shifting as the can pressed against his boot. There was no chanting, even the shadows grew quiet to stare at him in the ebbing power that festered in the air.

Baekhyun locked gazes with what had been the golden eyed boy, finding empty eyes reflecting the blackest parts of space. He was as still as a statue, his companion sitting in a jagged line as he too, stared at Baekhyun. Finally, the human looked towards the dagger wielding witch. His face was just as predicted, all sharp lines and harsh angles, clear black eyes reflecting a fire burning within the deepest pits of hell. His cropped hair revealed a permeating symbol branded into his forehead, what had previously been glowing a deep green now a blunt black. It was the same symbol that had been etched into the golden plate on the oak door back in the hallway.

That seemed like so long ago.

“ _ Human _ .”

None of their had mouths moved.

Baekhyun was walking a very fine line, balancing the silence like the finest of china in his hands. He had never crashed something so hard in his life as he took one breath in, a perfect break in the mounting tension.

He never ran faster in his life.

————————————

Like rushed black waterfalls, everything falls to the crashing rapids below. It takes time, but everything will find its place in that big cogged machine.

Some choose to row away from the fall.

Others choose to dive straight down the plummet dressed in nothing but their faith.

Others balance on the edge where others may dance.

A select few never dare step into the water.

But only one knows when to swim, when to sink, and when to drown.

He drowned.


	2. Chapter 2

It’d been days since Baekhyun left the safety of his bedroom, and it took even longer for him to brave the rest of the apartment. He searched every shadow of every nook and cranny of every room he entered, his paranoia an unsettling presence that constantly weighed against the forefront of his mind.

Baekhyun didn’t get any groceries, surviving off week-old noodles and whatever preservatives he hadn’t thrown away in the very back of his pantry. He didn’t even like showering, left him vulnerable to whatever may be lurking just beyond the shower curtain. It didn’t matter though, he hardly had any appetite and sitting in bed didn’t garner enough grime for him to be rushing to the bathroom for a thorough cleansing.

Baekhyun found himself often creeping by his closed curtains, flinching at every ringtone near and far and silencing his phone as he fiddled with putting his SIM card in and out of its slot. He unplugged his landline phone when it kept ringing at ungodly hours of the morning, and he was too frightened to listen to the voicemails. He figured if it were unplugged it’d snuff his curiosity; ignorance was bliss.

Sadly though, everything came to a head when after a nameless amount of days passed and his personal hygiene finally came to a budding crisis. Baekhyun hadn’t had a proper shower since the day of the incident, his hair gleamed with grease and he smelt ungodly even to himself. There was no more denying it, he’d have to go into the most vulnerable part of his house, the only room without an escape route whether it be a window or a sharp array of knives.

He left the water to steam as he stared into the fogging glass of his bathroom mirror, staring into eyes that looked like those of glass dolls. Empty, black, and haunted. The man that looked back at him was not Baekhyun, but that of a stranger staring at him through the portal of his own mirror. Black holes for eyes that sucked out any warmth and light from his face, sickly pale skin and purple bags under his eyes from lack of proper sleep. His cheeks jutted out ever so slightly, his frame more gauntly through the expression of haunted fright than actual malnutrition.

Baekhyun only broke out of his stupor when the mirror became too fogged to see that strange reflection staring back at him, still gripping the lapels of his bathrobe and worrying his bottom lip as he stared at the locked door of the bathroom. There hadn’t been any issues since that day, a simple ten-minute shower shouldn’t raise any red flags...he should be fine until then he reassured himself.

Perfectly fine.

Except, when Baekhyun was scrubbing his hair with the second round of shampoo globs, his hyperactive ears picked up a strange thudding noise. His body went rigid, fully alert as a brief lapse in thudding settled over the white noise of the shower head before presuming much louder than before.

Baekhyun still had faint soap suds on his body and shampoo in his hair when a muffled shout echoed through his home, but through the rushing water he couldn’t hear what they were saying. More silence lapsed and shampoo got into his eyes, Baekhyun didn’t even realize he had been creeping forward to hear better. Scrubbing away the suds from his hair as quickly as possible, the quiet stretched on and the brunette grew more and more anxious. He was sure his hands would be sweating if they weren’t currently bubbled with soap.

He switched off the water and waited in the small capsule of his shower, dripping wet but not daring to draw back the curtain and reach for his towel from the counter. The seconds were ticking by and perhaps Baekhyun could’ve convinced himself that he was just having another spell of paranoia, that the sleepless nights were finally catching up to him and he was suffering from delirium- if not for the loud bang that shot through his apartment.

Baekhyun blindly reached for his towel and wrapped it around his waist, hair dripping water into his eyes and down the slope of his jaw as he deftly stepped out of the capsule and to his counter where he went behind the cabinet in search for a weapon. There wasn’t even a hairdryer, only extra soap, toilet paper, and wash cloths as if he’d be able to pummel them to death with flimsy soft fabric.

There were a series of methodical footsteps on the other side of the door, one set growing faint while the other grew near. There was no exchange of words as the footsteps went past the bathroom and towards presumably his own room, Baekhyun straining his ear against the damp wooden door as he barely had the mind to turn off the light before the footsteps got near.

Baekhyun strained his eyes in the dark as he watched shadows grow and stretch beneath the door, blocks of light cutting to form two feet stopped in front of the bathroom. A beat passed before the knob jiggled and Baekhyun swore his heart stopped. He quickly, but silently, back-peddled back to the shower curtain and slipped through. Not a moment later the door was thrown back in such a show of force it rattled the human’s ears, his teeth clanking together, eyes squeezed shut.

The midday sun streamed in from the living room, Baekhyun having nothing but the towel around his waist to defend himself against whatever  _ things _ had finally come to silence him.

Shoes squeaked against the still damp floor, gathered water droplets on the air vent growing oddly still as shadows shifted through the thin veil of the shower curtain. It was a man, one only slightly taller than him and the rest was distorted by the bellowing fabric as the man’s movements disrupted it.

Blood was roaring in Baekhyun’s ears, heart thumping so loudly it’d surely already given him away. Fear and anticipation wound so tightly around each other Baekhyun felt like a coiled snake ready to strike, imaginary rattle trembling with mounting anxiety.

The shoes stopped, the shadows shifting. Baekhyun watched with bated breath, body hunched and backed into a corner when the dark muzzle of a pistol snuck between the curtain and the wet tiles of the shower. He slid soundlessly onto the floor, lungs burning and panic seizing him so suddenly that pressure began to build behind his eyes. He was trying to breath in, but his body wasn’t cooperating as all he could think of was his final moments of life being spent crouched in paralyzing fear on the floor of his shower.

The rusted rings of the shower curtain squealed as they were slowly drawn back, light spilling into the small space and rushing towards the shadows where Baekhyun was frozen in terror, his blood running cold enough to leave his body aching and tense as a taunt bow string.

“Lu, have you found anything?”

The curtain stopped moving, the stringent line of light mere millimeters from where the human was curled into a fetal position on the wet floor. Some dregs of oxygen wormed their way into his lungs as he heard the soft voice of a lady echoing through his apartment, the clacking it shoes sounding louder as she made her way to where her partner had drawn his gun from the curtain.

“I checked the bedroom; clothes were set out but no sign of the resident. The bathroom is still humid though so he couldn’t have gotten far wet and naked.”

The clacking stopped, Baekhyun could spy dark heels from the gap in the curtain and his own veil of blurry tears. She was wearing a pant suit and was leaning her face out of the frame, tan skin and pin straight hair vibrant through the tearful streaks of his mirror.

“His landlord said he hasn’t left the premise in two weeks, not even so much as ordered takeout. He has to be here, there’s nowhere else he  _ could _ be.”

“He could have taken a back alleyway and crashed at a friend’s house, this place doesn’t look the type to have an abundance of security cameras, it’d be easy if you knew where you were looking.”

The man had a foreign accent, not too thick but enough to glob together his words. He seemed well educated, but perhaps habit placed a role in his elocution.

Baekhyun was still huddled against the tiles, ears ringing in his state of panic and enough adrenaline in his veins to push him through a marathon. The strange people grew eerily silent, and the human felt distinct weights pressing against his skin. His hackles raised as his ears strained to hear every possible noise. The drip drops of gathered water, the heavy footfalls of the people upstairs, and even the faint music that permeated through the walls a few doors down.

Rust screeched and Baekhyun’s vision grew white from the sudden onslaught of light, burrowing his head into his arms for protection as his voice came out meeker than intended. “Please don’t hurt me...please...”

The plea sounded pathetic even to his own ears.

There was a warm hand gracing his arm, but he jerked away so violently that his head slammed against the wall in a sickening thud. The brunette didn’t even register the blooming pain as his voice grew thick with emotion, croaking out a mantra of pleas as tears welled and spilt from his eyes.

“Byun Baekhyun-“ a sob ripped from his throat; they knew his name. “Mr. Byun, we need you to calm down. We aren’t here to hurt you-“

Baekhyun sobbed louder, a dam breaking through his panic as he shook with the force of his cries. His head thumped against the wall as he grew delirious with panic, shaking his head and pleading quietly. “Please- please don’t hurt me, please...I did nothing wrong- please don’t hurt me...”

“Mr. Byun, we are agent’s Lu and Lee from Seoul’s Super Natural Accordance Department, SSNAD for short. We only wish to ask you a few questions regarding your whereabouts on Friday, September 25.”

Baekhyun stopped his motormouth before it could spill anymore damning pleas, words slow to register as he realized there were no Dark Arts creatures coming to get him- but government agents.

The human looked up from his spot in the corner to see the female agent with her hair slicked back into a ponytail, baring slim sunglasses and had her jacket pulled back to show her badge strapped onto her utility belt. She had her weight shifted to one leg and face a carefully constructed mask of indifference: her eyes skillfully hidden away.

The other agent was crouched down beside Baekhyun, the person who must’ve made the mistake of touching him and had porcelain skin so pale it seemed to glow. His features were sharp, eyes an icy blue and ears pulled to a distinct point. He had a series of sky-blue curved lines peeking out from beneath his low-cut button up, sleeves rolled up and badge dangling from a bulbous chain that seemed dull compared to the glitter and glamor of his skin. He had the feminine features prominent of the elven bloodline, smile apologetic and eyes oozing with too much pity.

“I’m Luhan, and my partner here is Lee Seungyeon. We mean no harm, just a few questions.” The elf held his hands placatingly, a universal sign of peace as he backed away from the shower capsule.

Baekhyun didn’t move from his corner, distrustful of the people who just busted into his home without so much as a warrant. The elf wore his emotions on his sleeve, easy to read and eager to please. The human, on the other hand, was much more rigid. He could feel her calculating gaze even through the guise of her sunglasses.

“We’ll leave you to get changed, no reason to force you into questioning in just a towel. Just don’t go running off.” The elf- Luhan had said it all jokingly, trying to play off the tension. To Baekhyun’s dismay, it was extremely difficult to stay cynical towards the elf, his aura so welcoming and comforting it felt as though he was talking to an old friend rather than a police officer.

Eventually, the human nodded, more out of desperation to escape to his room and away from the penetrating gaze of the silent female detective than to escape the embarrassment of being half naked in front of two strangers. Yet, it took him pointedly staring at Luhan and Seungyeon clearing her throat before the elf grew red in the face and exited the bathroom, the other not far behind.

Baekhyun gave himself a minute to quickly process what had just happened, to calm his frazzled brain and convince himself that these weren’t the bad guys. They were the law, and the law was there to protect people like him, especially innocent trouble-prone humans.

Nonetheless, he wouldn’t incriminate himself. They had said something about September 25th, that was the date of the incident. They clearly thought he had something to do with that crazy bar fight, perhaps thought he was some magix junkie and was getting a fix when shit hit the fan. Whatever it was, he was  _ not _ about to damn himself in some investigation- a  _ supernatural _ investigation. Goddammit, what’d he get himself into this time?

Baekhyun stood on shaky legs and stumbled his way out of the bathroom, not sparing a glance to anywhere except the unassuming door to his safe haven. The humidity of the bathroom and the chill of the rest of his home was a stark contrast as his body was still glistening with water, skin erupting into goosebumps and he slipped into his room.

The sweatpants and oversized tee were still set out where he’d left them, a pair of wire rimmed glasses thrown haphazardly onto the nearly folded pile. Baekhyun was in no hurry to get changed and run into the arms of his uninvited guests, taking his time toweling himself off and stepping into his clothes. He was busy scrubbing a large washcloth across his hair to dry the stubborn strands when there was a tentative knock at his door.

The human was met with a nervous Luhan twiddling his thumbs, smiling brightly when Baekhyun stuck his head out through the small gap. “Just making sure you hadn’t run away.”

Because Baekhyun was suicidal enough to jump off the third story of his apartment complex after shimmying through the rusted frames of his tiny ass windows.

He only shrugged, leaving the door for a split second to pull on his glasses and sling his washcloth around his neck, and as Baekhyun exited the bedroom, his eye immediately caught on his busted front door. It was swaying on one of its hinges, the other one laying bent and broken at his feet several meters away from the door.

“I’m sorry about our entry, my partner here can get a little excited sometimes.” It was the first real attempt at words Lee had spoken to Baekhyun, and they seemed like a poor attempt at a humorous apology.

“But you gave me the order...” The elf’s muttered protest died on his tongue when he caught his partners warning glare, she thought Baekhyun couldn’t see. He at least had the decency to look sheepish as he caught Baekhyun’s intense stare that drilled into the back of his head.

“You better have had probable cause.” Was all the human said before glancing at his small kitchenette.

“Can I get you some water?”

“That would be great-“

“No.”

Baekhyun snorted as Seungyeon glowered at the taller elf. His ears folding in on their own accord, but even that couldn’t hide the growing crimson that flushed his skin.

“Water for the elf it is.”

Baekhyun just needed something to busy his hands, opening his cabinets in search for a suitable glass. He tried to predict every possible question they’d throw his way, trying to remember all those late nights spent binging useless YouTube videos about psychological tells and how to lie and get away with it. He didn’t even realize the glass was full until it started to overflow, and glacial water was streaming down his arms and looking in his bent elbows.

Baekhyun could feel the twin stares boring into his head, trying to calmly pour out the excess water and wiping off the glass with a cloth. He grabbed himself a lukewarm water bottle, feeling stupid for missing the huge ass case of waters by his fridge and hoping the detectives don’t think he’s trying to poison them with his tap water.

The human steadied his hands, willing them not to shake as he handed the grateful elf his cold water and sat himself across from the two SSNAD agents. He felt small on the otherwise empty couch, Seungyeon standing stubbornly behind Luhan as the elf lounged comfortably on one of his mismatched loveseats. He looked perfectly at home, even fiddling with a month-old sweater magazine Baekhyun had long since abandoned.

“So...” Baekhyun muttered, finding it hard to meet either of their expectant gazes as he fiddled with his unopened water bottle. “Can I help you officers with anything?”

As if the busted door and drawn pistols weren’t answers enough.

“We’re investigating an ongoing incident that took place in downtown Seoul, somewhere within the Witchin district.”

“Witchin district? Why would I be anywhere near the covens?” It was a genuine question on Baekhyun’s part, he hadn’t thought he had wandered into witch territory. They were said to forestall other creatures, especially pesky humans, with their powerful wards and runes. Surely, if Baekhyun had stumbled into their district he’d have been staved off by their witchcraft.

“That’s what we’re hoping you’d tell us.” Luhan piped in, smile not quite meeting his eyes. “We have reason to believe you were in the vicinity of the incident when it took place, and we would like to collect possible witness statements, if you would do us such a favor.”

“I think you’re mistaking.” Baekhyun shook his head as the sounds of shattering glass and blinding lights flashed behind his closed eyelids, the liquid eyes of the man in the sheer crop top still branded into his mind. The human almost believed the man could see through those eyes, looking into Baekhyun’s deepest, darkest thoughts and rummaging for anything damning. Anything to give him reason to toss him around like a rag doll until even his body submitted to those building winds.

“I wasn’t in the Witchin district, I would have been easily turned away by their wards.” The water bottle crinkled with the amount of pressure the human was squeezing it with, the water growing warmer under his palms. “I will admit though, I went out clubbing with some friends that night. I’m not much of a drinker, but I needed a bit of a break from my...life.”

“What was happening that caused you to drink that night? Were you heavily intoxicated? Can these friends confirm your whereabouts on the night of September 25th?” Lee bombarded him with her barrage of questions, dark lenses slipping down the bridge of her nose as she leaned forward.

Luhan blindly gave a brush of his fingertips along her hip, the human reining herself back to her usual composure.

Baekhyun tried to school his bemused expression, staring a tad bit too long at the pads of the elf’s fingers. “Uh, well, I didn’t drink enough to be more than a little tipsy. I was in a bit of a slump and life just seemed so...monotonous. Everything was the same and I found it hard to care for anything anymore, I was looking for a bit of excitement.”

“And did you find that excitement?”

Baekhyun opened his mouth to answer but thought better of it with a loud clack of his teeth. He rolled his chapped lips, staring off into space as he considered the repressed memories of that night, just as bright and vivid as if they’d only happened yesterday.

“Can I ask you what all this is about? Was somebody hurt? Was there a robbery? A kidnapping? What do I, a human, have anything to do with an incident that happened within the Witchin district?”

Seungyeon answered before Luhan could so much as open his mouth. “We’re the ones asking the questions around here, we’d greatly appreciate it if you’d tell us who could confirm your whereabouts on the night of September 25th.”

Baekhyun was baffled, was he just shut down in his own home? Lee was just as stoic as when he first laid his eyes upon her in the restroom, and even Luhan looked oddly emotionless- though there was a tad bit of defeat within those icy eyes.

“I’m sorry but I think it’d be best for you to go; I don’t want to be a part of this supernatural investigation you’ve got going on. If you want my statement, here it is. I never went into the Witchin district, I’m human, it’s impossible for me to do so at night. I went out clubbing with friends and left for home somewhere near 1 or 2 am. Now please, show yourselves to my very  _ broken _ front door.”

Seungyeon looked like she wanted to protest, eyebrows furrowed indignation and mouth forming a nasty scowl before Luhan stood between the two of them, ever the placating one. “May I ask you reconsider? I know my partner can be a bit hotheaded sometimes but-“

“I want my door replaced within the day, or else I’ll report you for breaking into my home without probable cause or a warrant. Now I’ll ask you only once more, get  _ out _ of my  _ apartment _ .”

Baekhyun didn’t know how he’d be safe with his front door swinging on its single hinge, biting at his nails as he stalked over to his window to watch the SSNAD agents walking towards their midnight sedan. Even from three stories above the human could hear Lees shouts of ire and spy her aggressive and lewd gesticulation towards her calm partner.

Luhan just shoved her into the car, looking twenty years older and haggard as he shifted against the car, their eyes meeting in a standstill of breath. The elf had eyes like blue beacons, two piercing beams that cut through the humid air like lasers. Elves were said to have once been the children of great Elders, blue blooded beings who ruled in clans rich in ancient knowledge.

Now many elves were known to be whores, strippers and prostitutes. All that reverie and reputation desecrated, leaving nothing but spat upon stories of great beings that many elves would rather wipe their ass with than take them with more than a grain of salt. It was sad to see the regression of a people, especially when Luhan didn’t look a single bit a whore the media would expect him to be. In fact, he looked more of the grand tales of pointy-eared warriors and blue-blooded royalty, holding a grace that didn’t belong on a pole.

Baekhyun quickly  shuttered the blinds closed, searching for all the lost breath that’d been stuck in his lungs since his door got knocked down. He leaned his head against the wall, eyes closed as he listened to the far-off sound of a car purring to life. It’s retreat is smooth, nearly soundless until minutes passed and the human braved peeking out the window again.

The sedan was gone, the parking lot consisting of tin shambles meant to protect vehicles from the rain but only caused orange tinted leaks. The thin strip of cracked asphalt held few cars, all in their designated spots with that same 1998 station wagon still having its broken headlight beaming into the darkening atmosphere.

Nothing unusual,  nothing of note .

Baekhyun paced back to the fallen hinge, attempting to unbend it by pushing all his weight and strength into either end as he pushed it into the countertop. The old brass didn’t even budge, the roiling clouds on the horizon grumbling with impending thunder, warning of a storm.

He ignored the swelling thunderheads in favor of going back to his front door, desperately trying to position it inconspicuously enough as to ward off anyone wanting a free loot. The door was heavier than it looked, weighed by years in the humanity and brimming with blossoms of water damage. The open hallway was silent save for the far-off storm and the human's determined grunts, splinters imbedding into his palms from the dirty work.

Baekhyun eventually gave up, retreating back inside when the first sprinkles of water darkened the ends of the corridor. He found himself sat at one of two barstools at his kitchenette, rubbing the broken brass hinge between his fingers in thought.  _ Supernatural investigation... _

Surely, he couldn’t have been in the Witchin district, Baekhyun had met a witch once and it hadn’t been pleasant. He knew what their magic could do, how powerful it could be when thrusted upon his magic allergic body. Humans couldn’t handle any real doses of magic; their bodies weren’t meant to take the opposing forces. It’d make them sick or tear them apart from the inside out, surely that kind of power couldn’t be thwarted by a passing human looking for anything vaguely entertaining.

Unless...perhaps a witch had lured him there? Maybe some tricksters had lifted the wards fully expecting to prank the human, then...ran away? Or perhaps those weren’t real cops, maybe  _ they _ were witches clad in intricate glamour and were here to see just how much he knew from that night-

Baekhyun stood up so fast his chair went stumbling back, tipping over and thudding in tandem with the first close boom of thunder. Humid winds whipped in from the gaps in his crooked door, the first faint tendrils of petrichor wafting through the air ducts as he rushed to where his phone was plugged in on his bedside table.

Ignoring the dozens of new messages from Jongdae and Minseok dominating his home screen, the brunette went straight to his emergency contacts, staring at a name that so inconspicuously blended into his contacts that it stuck out like a neon light.

The phone barely hit the first ring when the call connected.

“Don’t ask any questions, I don’t feel safe talking over the phone. Dress casually, where a mask and get to my place as quickly as possible. Knock five times, twice then thrice and I’ll answer. Don’t rush over, it’ll draw attention. I think-“ Baekhyun worries his lip as lightening flashed the room in silver light. “I think I’m in trouble.”

Twenty painstakingly long minutes passed before Baekhyun heard a series of knocks at his door, two knocks followed by a pause, then three more in quick succession. The brunette hurried over and peaked through the slivers in his broken door, kitchen knife folded behind his back.

It was an ordeal to get the door to open just enough for the man to slip through, dark hoodie soaked through with the barrage of rain that seemed to worsen by the minute. His hair was an ashy black, shadowy wisps frizzing by the humidity and puffing at the ends. One eye was a coffee brown, the other slightly lighter with gold rimming the pupil it like a hollowed-out disk. The mismatched eyes stared at him above the mask, shining with concern and question as the human handed him the towel he’d been wringing nervously.

“Where’d you park?”

“Down the street by the candy shop- what is all this about anyway? You’re scaring me Baekhyun, what’s this about being in trouble?”

Baekhyun hadn’t thought this far ahead, opening and closing his mouth like a dying cod before glancing back at the door. He swore it was more exposed than before, larger gaps between the frame that glared at the human the longer he stared. The other male was as patient as always, standing impeccably still as Baekhyun couldn’t keep himself from not finding something to fiddle with, picking at loose threads, biting his nails, and bouncing his knee in impatience.

“I- I think we should talk somewhere more private.” Baekhyun grabbed his hand and trudged through his apartment to where his bathroom stood. The other simply rose a brow as he cranked up the knobs and the loud pummeling of his shower matched the white noise of the pounding thunderhead outside.

Baekhyun shut the door and tugged the male into a crouch, reaching over to tug the mask down. “Take that damn thing off already, we’re safe in here.” He really wanted some wood to knock on right about now.

Junmyeon was going to have some serious frown lines when he got older, mounds of wrinkles from the amount of stress Baekhyun gives him alone. His violet tinged lips were pursed until they bloomed pink, giving him more of a human look than the brunette was used to. The fey crouched closer, their already sparse inches closing as he leaned in to hear his friend’s quiet whispers in the rush of running water.

“Baekhyun, what is all this for? What have you gotten yourself into- have you killed a man? Robbed a store? I swear to the Damned if you gambled I’m not helping you get out of the organized crime circuit because you brought that upon yourself-“

Baekhyun hushed him, because even when most of their cadence was lost to the buzz of water, the human still felt the paranoia gnawing at his brain. His eyes darted to the locked bathroom door as a million terrible scenarios played out at once. “I didn’t  _ gamble _ Junmyeon, I don’t even know if I’m in real trouble or if I’m just being paranoid but...”

The fey leaned ever so close, his frazzled mind probably not registering their proximity or simply not caring after dealing with the humans’ shenanigans for well over a decade. He nodded his head in continuation and Baekhyun knew he didn’t have much time before his infinite patience wore thin.

“I think I...I think- well I-“ he sighed in frustration as he looked at Junmyeon, trying to will his jumbled thoughts into the fey's mind but knowing it’d do no good.

“I...I can’t tell you; I can’t put you in that kind of danger.”

Junmyeon’s eyes widened at that, being denied like a child whose mother had sadistically waved candy in his face before snatching it away. He looked ready to protest, shoulders sizing up and muscles bowing in tension. Baekhyun grappled at his damp sleeves, pulling on them in the childish fashion he knew would qualm the fey if not for a little longer.

“I just at need to ask you some questions...legal questions.”

“My god Baekhyun,” Junmyeon dragged a hand across his porcelain face. “What the  _ fuck _ did you do.”

“I didn’t do anything- I really didn’t!” He tacked on when he saw the look of doubt on the latter’s face. “I just, might have been in the wrong place at the wrong time. But that doesn’t matter, I need you to do me a favor.”

“What kind of favor?”

“The kind that comes with childhood friendship, your undying love for me, and your position at your firm.”

“Baekhyun! Why the hell do you need me to pull the lawyer card, what have you gotten yourself into!”

“That’s what I’m trying to find out! Now stop whispering so harshly, you're spitting on me.”

“This is not a joking matter Byun; you may have just endangered your life and I have no idea how I can help you.”

Baekhyun felt sore in his legs from crouching for so long, his mind exhausted from trying to keep up his mask of indifference. In realty, he was fucking terrified, but Junmyeon didn’t need to know that. He didn’t need him knowing about the countless nights of evasive sleep that took form below his eyes, of the fatigue and loss of appetite because? the human became paranoid enough to the point even day-old food looked suspicious.

He didn’t need to drag his friend down with him, to worry him into the ground when just contacting him was putting so much at risk. Baekhyun swore he could feel eyes through the walls and feel misplaced cold threading through the floorboards. Perhaps it was the paranoia, or more likely, intimidation. Creatures watching him with eyes not their own, reaching towards him to scare but pulling away just enough to keep his heart beating and mouth shut.

But if the police were getting involved...they knew something he didn’t. Baekhyun needed to know why they came knocking down his door, why they sent SSNAD agents for polite interrogation, to know if they were actual agents or just another, bolder intimidation tactic. Baekhyun didn’t even know that he was in the Witchin district, if what they said was true, and if it really is...he had bigger problems than his night out should have ever concocted.

“I need you to look up some people, tell me if they’re really police.”

“Why do you need to know police officers- are they the ones who broke your door down?!”

“The less questions the better-“

“No Baekhyun, this is bad. Your damn door is practically caved in and if you really are in danger, then I can’t leave you here, unprotected and vulnerable. You can stay at-“

“Don’t even finish that sentence Junmyeon.” It was getting increasingly harder to lie to his friend’s face, to skirt around the elephant in the room and try to keep his face level when he wanted nothing more than to go running into the feys unlucky arms. To go to his hexed home and watch the paintings fly off the wall only to reset back onto the drywall as if the home hadn’t tried to fling them like daggers across the living room.

“Junmyeon, I know your motherly instincts are telling you to hide me far away from the real world, but  _ please _ just leave it be. I’m practically begging you Myeon,  _ please _ stop pushing this and just get me that information. I promise you if anything goes wrong, you’ll be the first person I call.”

The human was borderline crying, frustration blurring the edges of his vision and making his voice go hoarse. This was part of the reason he hadn’t wanted to call Junmyeon, he was too smart, asked too many questions. It was only a matter of time before he pieced everything together, but before that happened Baekhyun swore to keep him as far away from his mess as possible.

“You should be calling the police first.”

Baekhyun sighed heavily, he was pushing a boulder. “Junmyeon, I think everybody knows you’d fight the police and burn them to the ground before they got to me first.”

The fey shrugged, not an ounce of amusement in his silvery voice as he said, “I’d do so much worse.”

This was a mistake, Junmyeon was probably going to drag Baekhyun out by the hair and shove him into some cold protected corner of his house where even  _ it _ couldn’t hurt him. The human knew he was doing this from a good place, but he didn’t need more shit to worry about like his longest standing childhood friend being skewered and used against him by those watchful eyes.

“Listen to me Junmyeon.” He’d have to take a different approach, walk a thin line between his friend’s fey instincts and what groomed humanity he had walking the leash. “If you don’t do as I say, if you try to defy what I’m asking- no  _ telling _ you, I’m going straight to Yixing and I’ll stay with him-  _ for good _ .”

The human watched in sick fascination and a little fear as Junmyeon’s pupils dilated before snapping into a thin slit, the lighter eye flushing out all color until there was only a thin black line cutting across the stark white. There was flaring pain before Baekhyun realized he was being pressed against the bathroom wall, fire dancing precariously along his spin as tiny crescents were pressed into his skin by the elongated claws holding him in place.

“You will  _ not _ go to that damned  _ bokor _ , not even after my  _ last breath _ -“

“Then do as I say and do it  _ now _ . Stop asking questions or I’ll get my answers from Yixing, I promise you that.”

Wafts of carrion carried through the air, putrid and permeating the longer the two glared at each other. It smelt of death and decay, of tortured souls and carried a weight that made it hard to breathe in. Junmyeon’s human eye looked nothing of the sort, flickering over his features in such rapt attention he looked as though he were sizing up a defying prey. His claws were piercing through Baekhyun’s already thin shirt, digging into his skin like winding screws.

Baekhyun was close to gagging on the carrion and faint ash, when Junmyeon’s overwhelming presence was suddenly gone. The fey was across the bathroom, curled in a fetal position by the door as the human collapsed into a heap on the floor. His chest was tight and burning, spine protesting his bending movements from being pressed iron-rod straight.

“I’m sorry.” Came Junmyeon’s feeble reply, muffled by his knees. “I didn’t mean to; I’ll go get your answers.”

Before Baekhyun could apologize, spew out that growing lump of guilt and regret, the fey was gone. The door was left ajar, rain and thunder pounding against his shuddering complex. Glasses left from the officers were vibrating on the coffee table, jumping up when a violent bolt of lightning struck not even a mile away. The air was charged, living and breathing with building energy until it unleashed upon whatever innocent structure it deemed worthy.

Baekhyun stumbled towards the open front door, squeezing through the crack and clamoring to the stairs at the end of the open corridor. He went running into the guard rail, breath leaving him in one foul whoosh as he gripped the rusted metal in the pouring rain.

It didn’t take long for his coffee hair to stick to his forehead, shirt soaking through in seconds, sweatpants slipping down with its newfound weight. The world was static grey, like a malfunctioning TV screen. Everything was shifting in quick succession, no sheet of rain the same as the last as the clouds grumbled angrily and much louder than before.

No matter how much the human squinted against the downpour or scanned the shambles that was a pitiful excuse of a parking strip, Junmyeon was nowhere to be found. The rain was growing colder, the sky darker as time was stretching to night. His friend was nowhere to be found, and his apology was left dying on his tongue.

As the rain grew stronger, Baekhyun hurried back inside, hoping for a better tomorrow.

————————————

Baekhyun was lounging on his couch, having just seen the repairmen out of the building and admiring his new non-water damaged door when he got a phone call.

He should have known better than to answer it without looking at the ID.

“You fucking  _ idiot!  _ Why the  _ fuck _ were there two high ranking SSNAD agents at your home?! You’re human why would they bother you with anything!?”

Baekhyun winced as he pulled the phone away from his ear, hearing Junmyeon screeching through the device as if he were being buried alive and calling for help instead of scolding his friend. Baekhyun would admit that yeah, perhaps he should have told the fey about the  _ nature _ of his guests. But that would have made it much more difficult to get him to do what he wanted, there was no way in  _ hell _ Junmyeon would let him stay at his own home if he knew that supernatural agents were after him.

“Let me explain-“

“Explain? Baekhyun what is there to say about two federal agents busting down your door-“

“They made a mistake-“

“No Baekhyun! Police make mistakes, politicians make mistakes, idols make mistakes- SSNAD agents  _ don’t _ make mistakes. They  _ never _ make mistakes.”

“You’re being quite overdramatic Junmyeon-“

“You were questioned by police after they kicked down your door! I’m appropriately responding to the situation!”

“Wow, and to think you act this way in court.” This time Baekhyun knew to hold the phone away from his ear.

“So, what you’re telling me, is that these people are actual agents correct? An elf and a...?”

“Human.”

“Thought so.”

Baekhyun thought back to Seungyeon and her odd aggression, as if she were constantly preparing herself for a fight. It was probably because of the fact she was human in a supernatural unit, they probably treated her like glass. The brunette couldn’t even take Junmyeon babying him, much less an entire police squad.

“I’m coming over.”

“Oh no you’re-“

“ _ Yes, _ I  _ am _ , we need to talk about a few things since now we have specialized federal  _ units _ coming after you for whatever reason- which you  _ will _ tell me when I get there.”

“There really is no-“

“I’ll be there in twenty.”

The line went dead, and Baekhyun was pretty sure a piece of him died with it.

The human debated whether or not he should open the door when the fey arrived, but decided against it when he realized Junmyeon would just bust down the door and then Baekhyun would have to actually  _ pay _ for a new door after just getting a new one. He didn’t even have time to gather a plan B when a knock sounded at his door, but when he checked the oven it’d only been ten minutes.

_ How odd _ , he thought as he walked up to his newly installed door. Standing on his tippy toes to try and glance through the obnoxiously high peephole...assholes.

There was another, more persistent knock. Baekhyun chewed on his lip as he looked back towards the clock, nine more minutes. Did he race over here? Was traffic light? Was Baekhyun just being paranoid? A succession of rapping knuckles thudded against the solid wood, echoing loudly through the apartment. His heart spiked in anxiety as the brass of his doorknob looked nauseating, stomach churning- why was the knocking so damn  _ loud? _

There was banging, loud booms that shuddered the door against its new hinges. Baekhyun covered his ringing ears, wincing and trying to think through the fog steadily filtering into his mind. He saw his chest heaving but couldn’t feel any movements as the tinnitus grew impossibly louder, knees numb as he somehow managed to drop to the ground.

Tears sprung to his eyes, lungs seizing and limbs impossibly heavy- the banging was loud, too  _ loud _ . There was muffled yelling, distorted voices that iced over his skin like glaze before slipping off like oil. The world was tilting, a lens shifting out of focus- how did he get here? Wasn’t he just sprawled on the couch? Why was his stomach rising to his throat, why was there bile burning his insides and piercing ringing in his ears?

Thoughts were muddled and muted until they were flushed out of Baekhyun’s empty head, stuffing dry cotton into every available crevice. Through the veil of high-pitched white noise, a rapid pumping was pounding in tandem with the newfound pain behind his temples. It was getting harder to breathe- was he breathing? Baekhyun couldn’t feel his lungs, just a tight pain where his chest was supposed to be. A tsunami- that he belatedly realized was panic- crashing over the rest of his burnt and split nerves until the floor and ceiling became his walls and fuzzed black was surrounding his limiting vision.

There were hands grappling for him, cold things freezing his shoulders and blips of blue splotching his kaleidoscope. Baekhyun suddenly felt very cold, no longer numb but tense with flooding freeze. A voice was working its way through the panic, faint and warbled as if spoken through water. “Hang in there Byun, come back to us, come on- that’s it.”

The hands were steadying, anchors to keep his mind and body from floating to oblivion. The hard line of his wooden floors provided an uncomfortable disorient, light spilling in somewhere behind the halo cast by those pretty blue eyes. They were no longer warbled blobs, but sharp eyes carved from the bluest ice with flecks of silver carving around the pupil with a seemingly endless depth. They were enough to bring Baekhyun back, reel him in from the abyss of whatever trench was threatening to consume his entire being.

“There we go,” the elf smiled blindingly, blue eyes twin beacons as they scrunched up in joy. “See, you’re all good. I knew everything was going to be  _ just _ fine-“

Baekhyun was still groggy and numb in the aftershock of it all when at the worst possible moment Junmyeon tumbles through the already open door. It takes the fey mere milliseconds to fall back on instinct and jump to conclusions, mindless as he pounces the first threat in sight. Luhan.

Many may hold their stereotypes and ancient hierarchy to point fingers at who may or may not be the most powerful creature. Some may say sorcerers are the most powerful, other say the immortal, yet rare vampire is, while others hold their pensions on the illusive children of folklore gods who run rampant in undeveloped parts of the world, power unyielding and raw in its untrained energy.

It’s been a debate for the centuries, every race holding its strengths and weaknesses, but goddammit the fey were scary as fuck when their branded kin are threatened. Not only were fey a bit of a rarity, the most part for their extremely short life span, but also for their savage instincts that told them to  _ decimate _ when their beloved kin had so much as a  _ paper cut _ . Even through whatever haze Baekhyun found himself in, he was trying in his sluggish movements to gather enough strength to stop his friend from life in prison for killing a cop.

Junmyeon was already the color of wet cement, one eye white and slitted while the other was a blind frenzy of bloodlust and rage. Seungyeon was trying to train her shot in the blur of figures, gun flitting between her partner and the berserk fey as they snarled in a feral trance.

Baekhyun felt as though the inside of his lungs were lined with fractured glass, every inhale expanding the shards until they stuck out and imbedded into his delicate flesh. Every breath piercing, leaving him more breathless than before as his lungs were infuriatingly clenched. The light was too bright, noises too loud, his every sense too sensitive. Baekhyun tried to speak past the obstacles, his voice a hoarse whisper that clawed its way forcefully out of his throat until it shriveled and died on his cotton tongue.

Every attempt was futile, there was no way he could get the fighting fey's attention. The only way to stop him while in this kind of frenzy was to-

Baekhyun cursed silently as his limbs fumbled about uselessly, most likely resembling a suffocating fish flopping on a littered beach. He tried to put his weight beneath him, but even that seemed to be too much. The only thing driving the human was the fear of what his childhood friend would do in his name, every second ticking by another second his friend was pulled deeper into a predatory daze.

Somehow Baekhyun ended up leaning over the couch, weight slinging around his center of gravity like a pinball machine. His apartment was a proper mess, his minimal decor thrown around in the discord. Seungyeon was still trying to get a shot off as she shouted at the long gone fey to back down. She was so hyper focused on the two of them that she didn’t even see Baekhyun stumbling over until he was pushing his dead weight into her, slinging himself on her outstretched arms.

“What are you  _ doing _ ?! Get the fuck off me before you get yourself killed!”

“Don’t...shoot...” Baekhyun was swaying on his feet, he knew something was wrong in his body, but he hadn’t the faintest clue as to what.

There was nothing particularly striking about Seungyeon to focus on, no focal point that drew the human in and out of his stupor. She was almost painfully average, especially in comparison to her elven partner. Baekhyun tried to focus on her harsh words and aggression that rolled off her in waves, because that kind of intensity jolted him the slightest bit. If her looks wouldn’t help him focus, he’d have to focus on her rougher edges.

“Gun...point...me.”

Lee looked at him like he was crazy, leaning forward as if she heard incorrectly while trying to wrench her arms back. There was a loud crash that sounded like glass shattering and Baekhyun shook his head at the detective’s stubbornness. “Point at me...distract him...”

The human watched as the cogs turned in her head, a clarity washing over her muddy eyes when Baekhyun let go and took a step back. “Fey...” Lee mumbled to herself as she raised her gun and rested its cool metal barrel against his forehead, the sounds of struggle ceasing almost immediately. The brunette closed his eyes as his ears rung still, the sudden silence proving to be deafening, like getting out of the hot tub and plunging into an outdoor pool in December.

“Don’t you  _ dare _ hurt him.” Junmyeon’s usual silvery voice was tainted in a low growl, a guttural and animalistic cadence that caused even Baekhyun to flinch. He had only seen his friend like this once, and he was sure the police weren’t going to be as forgiving as that boy’s money hungry parents.

“We just wanted to talk.”

“You  _ hurt _ Baekhyun, so I will hurt  _ you _ .” He said it as if it were simple math.

“I think this is all just a big misunderstanding-“

Junmyeon hissed at the elf that was sprawled on the ground, using his boot to push him back down from where he was attempting to push himself up. Seungyeon tensed and pushed the gun imperceptibly closer against Baekhyun’s skin, stoic even when Junmyeon growled in warning.

“We didn’t hurt Baekhyun- in fact, we actually saved him.”

The fey continued to growl at the vocal elf, while even on the ground carried an air of importance and tranquility. His ebony hair was tousled wildly, skin showing a littering of small but clean cuts, but his eyes still remained focused and unmoving. If Luhan wasn’t overflowing with so much empathy his eyes would surely look as cold and calculating as a crowned eagle, something in the feys attack pulling that slumbering blue blood to the surface.

“Your friend here was having a panic attack, he couldn’t  _ breathe _ . Detective Luhan, who you wrongfully and illegally  _ attacked _ , was the one to bring him back and get him breathing again.” Seungyeon didn’t have the same patience as her partner, gritting her teeth and pushing against her pistol to make a point, even if it drew unpleasant sounds from Junmyeon.

“You  _ lie _ . I could smell the magic from the stairwell, you did something to him.” Junmyeon snarled, tensing up and crouching in preparation for another pounce. His nails were gouging streaks into the floorboards, chipping up splinters that were stark against his dark grey skin.

Baekhyun swayed too far to the left, knees buckling before he went crashing into the couch. The gun was left were it was poised, pointing into open air as the fey was temporarily placated with his arms full of Baekhyun. Junmyeon was back to his usual fretting; combing back his fringe, patting his unharmed body, and asking unnecessary and ridiculous questions that would never once help his condition.

Luhan got up slowly, signaling for Lee to put down her gun. She didn’t comply, stubbornly staring down Junmyeon with a blaze in her eyes that poured smoke from her ears. The elf snatched the gun from her hand and tucked it into belt, glaring warningly at her before casting his shadow over the duo.

“He was panicking, I did the only thing I knew would give a quick result.”

“Quick results aren’t always the  _ best _ results.” Junmyeon hissed, eye glowing white as he peered dangerously through his fringe. “You better have a damn good reason for being here.”

“I’m afraid I have something better than a reason.” Luhan sat on the coffee table beside the two, legs crossed over the knee. The fey was cradling Baekhyun, claws retracted and rubbing smooth circles against his scalp. The human felt less nauseous, blinking away the daze as slow chips cracked his vision, falling away to reveal a clarity he hadn’t realized had be so far off.

“This,” Luhan flipped a photograph he had tucked away in his suit jacket, a file somehow finding home in his gentle hands alongside the picture. “Is Baekhyun in the Witchin district at approximately 12:47 am, strolling towards our soon-to-be crime scene.”

If Junmyeon was surprised, he didn’t show it. His face was a perfect mask of indifference as Luhan watched carefully for a chip, a crack, a fissure- anything to call a bluff. Baekhyun watched the two have a stare off in the middle of his living room, glancing around for Seungyeon who seemed to have disappeared.

When Baekhyun found his eyes landing on the photograph, he saw a fuzzy greyscale picture blown to fit the 8.5 by 11-inch printer paper. Within the small white border, he saw the glints of barred convenient stores and the empty street that dominated the photograph. Crossing the first third of the picture was none other than a lithe male with tufts of fluffed dark hair, leather jacket slim fitting over a billowed silk shirt that tucked into tight pants and black combat boots. Baekhyun knew it was him, remembered the way he stared at his sober expression in the mirror of an empty convenient store window, but he took Junmyeon’s lead and stayed silent, stoic.

“Sometime between the hours of one and two am, a territorial disagreement went down between the covens of Aether and Belladonna. They attacked each other and killed several of the opposing members-“

“I fail to see what any of this has to do with Baekhyun. All you have is a fuzzy photograph of a male in his twenties, if even, and a time stamp of a district my client has no way of going into-“

“Client?” Luhan’s dainty features twisted in confusion, dropping his arm and therefore photograph back to the manila folder sitting in his lap.

“Kim Junmyeon.” The fey outstretched his pale hand to the detective, smile nudging on the edge of hostility as he met Luhan’s unwavering gaze. “Shareholder of TBD Firm, I specialize in criminal law, mostly supernatural and corporate affairs.”

Luhan leaned back, leaving the feys hand to occupy the charged space between them. He laughed softly to himself, muttering something foreign under his breath before offering a cordial smile. Junmyeon retracted his hand in favor of burying it in Baekhyun’s hair, a of pull of power sparking between the creatures.

“Kim Junmyeon, it’s a pleasure to finally meet your acquaintance. You’re quite popular amongst my fellow SSNAD agents, dare I say  _ infamous _ .”

“If freeing innocent supernatural occults from the claws of the justice system makes me infamous, I’ll consider myself  _ notorious _ .”

“I didn’t think such an esteemed lawyer such as yourself could be a  _ fey _ , especially with your kind of control.”

Junmyeon made to lunge, but Baekhyun shot up before he could. The world spun for a split second as his mind tried to catch up to the speed of his movements, steadying himself by leaning his head on his friends’ shoulder, sighing into the dusty fabric. He smelled of  must and carrion, his princely appearance the biggest red herring as his whole being seemed to just seep and  _ rot _ .

“Why are you  _ really _ here Luhan.”

The elf pursed his lips, rolling the flesh to a bright red before glancing back at the folder in his lap. He unfolded his legs and stood with grace, practically gliding across the room before stopping and spinning on his heel, sounding almost coy as he asked, “Perhaps, the kitchen would be a more appropriate place to talk?”

Seungyeon was back and sitting at the table with Luhan to her right, Junmyeon sitting by Baekhyun who- to his dismay- sat by the elf. They were a respectable distance apart, Junmyeon coming back from the kitchenette with a lukewarm water bottle and a terse smile. The human thanked him but made no move to drink from the thin plastic, content to crinkle the plastic in a nervous daze.

Luhan opened the folder, the yellow creme tilted slightly upwards to block any wandering eyes. He pulled out a series of papers, more photos, and spread them poker style. Baekhyun winced when he saw the first photograph, a littering of broken corpses and coagulated blood. There was bright yellow crime scene tape, people in blue papery suits and different bent tents flagging evidence.

The second photo held another angle of the crime scene, capturing the entirety of the bar. The lights were still on, illuminating the empty shelves littered in colorful fragments of liquor bottles and seemingly sticky countertops. The bartender was slung across the middle of said countertop, dark ichor staining the wood black with gore. A large stalagmite stuck through his torso as he was laid prostrate on the wood, face unseen to the mercy of the photographer.

The third beheld more mutilated bodies in various positions, the pub tainted with varying shades of blood and gore. Baekhyun felt like gagging, suddenly Junmyeon’s rare scent of death seemed like paradise to what foul bile these photos rose to his throat. The fourth and final photo showed dregs of dried blood on the steps leading down to the pub, no bodies in sight but somehow it seemed like the most disturbing picture of them all.

“Why are you showing me these?” Baekhyun’s voice came out a hoarse whisper, meeker than he wished as it cracked with the effort to keep in the rising bile. Junmyeon looked perfectly put together, glancing at the series of photographs as if they were rainbows in meadows and postcards of waterfalls from the tropics. The human didn’t know if he should find comfort in knowing this didn’t bother the fey or disturbed that perhaps this wasn’t the worst he’d seen.

“There were an estimated 20 coven members at that bar, not including the bartender, and we counted 17 bodies at that crime scene. What you see here is what happened  _ after _ we removed multiple piles of ash and bodies that weren’t quite literally  _ stuck _ to the scene.”

Baekhyun tried to cover his ugly gag with a cough, failing miserably when his eyes sprung with tears and his chest shuttered with a coughing fit. Junmyeon rubbed his back as he practically forced water down his throat, trying to work the liquid down his clogged esophagus.

“I fail to see what showing this bloodbath to my client is going to accomplish other than make him sick.” The fey mocked through clenched teeth, holding Baekhyun just a tad bit closer, eyes storming with a million thoughts the human couldn’t even begin to decipher.

“This wasn’t just a bloodbath; this was a  _ massacre _ .” Luhan slammed his fist on the table as he gripped the photograph with the bartender impaled on the bar top, holding it in the air with force as he towered over the seated duo. “This man wasn’t even involved with the territorial dispute; he was an innocent man with a  _ wife _ and  _ kids _ . Try going to a struggling family’s home and telling them their father was never coming home, that they couldn’t have an open casket because the man was skewered on a damn  _ spike _ like a fucking  _ kebab _ -“

Junmyeon was standing with one hand splayed on the elf’s chest, snarling as he pushed him back in warning. Seungyeon was glancing down at her feet, her blockish sunglasses poorly framing her small face. She didn’t say a single word, not since those photographs were set on the table. “There’s more where that came from.”

“Don’t bother,” Junmyeon said, walking slowly back to where Baekhyun was still staring at those empty and bloodied steps. “We don’t need to see anymore carnage, all we need is to know why you came into my clients house unannounced, used magic on him without his consent, and continually barrage him with this gruesome imagery.”

Luhan scoffed an ugly thing, the first glimpses of modern elf breaking through that pristine image to show a foul effigy. He only had a few centimeters on Junmyeon, but his hideous snarl seemed to rival that of the stench of decay that was a usual deterrent for the fey.

“Damn lawyers,” Luhan muttered. “Always using flowery language as if that makes a murder any less gruesome.”

He straightened his jacket, combing his near iridescent fingers through his void black hair. He spoke as he sat down, folding and unfolding his thin fingers. “We have strong reason to believe Baekhyun here was there that night of the coven’s massacre, we would like to gather a witness statement from him and use him as a witness in on case against the monsters behind this  _ atrocity _ .”

The elf spit out the last word like poison, scrunching his beautiful face in a foreign look of disdain. Junmyeon stared at the detectives for a moment, eyes flitting between the two before bursting into raunchous laughter. One finely manicured eyebrow twitched on the elf’s side, and Lee seemed to just flinch under the harshness of the cackle.

“Witness statement? You think you can drag in an innocent human into your occultist mess? Use your  _ head _ , that person in your grainy photo could be anyone- it doesn’t even show the majority of their face! The fact you came after my client, a human, in a case against witches- especially considering he couldn’t even enter the district if he wanted to- shows just how desperate you are to grasp at such straws.”

The elf’s infinite patience seemed to run dry, elongated canines glinted through his scowl as he opened his mouth to dispute, perhaps initiate another attack. Sadly, he didn’t get even get to inhale before Junmyeon was pacing towards the door, opening the thankfully intact wood and motioning his arm in a grand sweep.

“As much as we’d love to look at more dead bodies with you, I believe your uninvited presence is long overstayed. If you aren’t arresting Baekhyun, please show yourself out.”

Seungyeon looked up towards the still standing elf, their roles reversed as the human looked calm albeit a little pale and disturbed as she avoided the photographs. Luhan huffed, snatching up the disheveled papers and stuffing the crinkled things in the folder through blind irritation. All the while Baekhyun was staring at the empty space where those stairs had once been, the ichor had been so  _ dark _ , nearly black besides the faintest gleam of scarlet.

Luhan all but stormed out, Seungyeon on his heels as a flash of her eyes glimmered black behind her shades. Junmyeon shut the door, almost like a vacuum it sucked out all air in the room and pumped it full of charged tension. Baekhyun opened his mouth to say something,  _ anything _ , when the fey shushed him- eye a golden hue shimmering and shifting around his pupil like a living, breathing being.

They stayed in buzzing silence with nothing but white noise to keep them company, the fey leaning towards the door but otherwise as still as a statue. Baekhyun listened to the heightened thumping of his heart, felt the throbbing in his head as everything strained against the quiet. He didn’t even want to breath, lest he disturb something never meant to be awoken from its slumber.

Suddenly, Junmyeon was gripping his shoulders hard enough to knock the wind out of him. The human wheezed when he saw the wild in his shifting eyes, the panic and fear that gripped those beautiful heterochromatic orbs that seemed to contain a million more hues than there were stars in the sky. They were the eyes of a man destined to death, only to fear for one of his own kin’s demise.

Baekhyun could feel the bruises blooming indents on his shoulders, but his voice had all but shriveled as his undivided attention was demanded to Junmyeon when he hadn’t even said a word.

“It won’t be long now.” The fey whispered, panic bleeding through the lines and staining the fabric of his words. “They’ll have a search warrant by tomorrow, two days if we’re lucky.”

He pulled the human impossibly close, fear invading Baekhyun senses as it wafted off the fey in poisoned tendrils. He breathed it in and choked as it wrapped cords around his heart, squeezing until his focus started to waver from his friend to focus on the ominous trepidation that seemed to ebb and breath in the darkest parts of the shadows.

“I know that was you in the photograph.” Baekhyun was starting to believe he saw his own reflection in the shine of his friend’s eyes, but he was no longer sober. No, he was drunk on pain and twisted in tortured agony.

“You need to listen to me now Baekhyun, I don’t care to know what happened. I understand now.” Junmyeon shook him, his head lolling slightly in a daze as he tried to focus on his words through the growing fuzz. “You don’t need to tell me anything for now, I just need you to give me that outfit you wore. From the shirt to the jewelry, I need it  _ now _ .”

Baekhyun nodded, but then paused, shaking his head as his face scrunched in distaste. He mumbled softly to himself, Junmyeon having to shake him harder to get him to focus back on the crushing severity of the situation.

“Baekhyun, give me the outfit-“

“It’s not that, it’s just-“ Baekhyun sighed through his nose, trying to push his mind into a calm place and channel his thoughts into a coherent stream. “I burned most of the outfit that night, I-I was scared they were going to- to come back for me so I-“

“I understand.” But he  _ didn’t _ . Junmyeon couldn’t possibly know what horrors had transpired that night, to know that not only were the bad guys after him, but the good guys. Everyone seemed to want Baekhyun in one way or another and  _ god _ the human didn’t think that his night out seeking change from his monotonous lifestyle was going to crush and  _ crumble _ his entire world to dust! Everything was shattering and Baekhyun was tired of hearing glass break.

“You said you burned  _ most _ of the outfit, what didn’t you burn?”

Baekhyun worried his lip, feeling the beginnings of a slit forming the one corner. The phantom taste of copper spilled on his tongue, as if he were breathing the scent instead of air.

“I-I didn’t burn the jacket or the uh- the shoes, I like those combat boots...”

Junmyeon shook his head, “Those are easily the two most identifiable features of your outfit, give them to me. I’ll take care of them; I promise I won’t destroy them if that’s what you’re worried about.”

“No no, I don’t care what you do with them anymore.” Baekhyun made to turn on his heels, dislodging Junmyeon with a pull and a push. Though the feys hands stayed in their gripping position, as if he were still holding Baekhyun. “They’re  _ tainted _ .”

The items were sealed away in an inconspicuous cardboard box, like something a Hollywood fired office worker would use to carry away their belongings. There was duct tape between the lid and the box out of sight, making a knife a necessity when trying to pry open the cursed thing. Baekhyun could smell the ash and smoke like an old puff of air when the box opened, specks of char dusting the neatly folded jacket and worn boots.

Junmyeon didn’t ask questions as he took the items out of the box and started to fold the cardboard, wiping it down with a nearby towel along the way. Baekhyun stayed silent as he worked, it seemed to be their new medium. Baekhyun fucks up and Junmyeon comes to swoop in and take care of his mess, all while in tense silence. Seemed almost cliché.

Junmyeon dragged him to his unsteady feet and pulled him into the kitchen, gathering his bag he’d thrown haphazardly when he attacked Luhan to stuff the leather jacket and boots into its bottomless depths. All Baekhyun could do was watch, a little numb and a little jittery. He didn’t know what was happening, what was going to happen, or even what  _ had _ happened. A part of him felt small, like a fragile child leaning into their mothers’ side in fear of getting lost. The tiny, frail voice in his head prayed that Junmyeon would make it all okay again, though a much stronger voice seemed to cackle at the absurdity of the weak statement.

Baekhyun reached out his hand to grip loosely at the feys bicep when he started to head towards the door, eyes stormy whirlpools and striking lightning when he turned around to face him. The human looked slightly upwards towards his friend, trying to search his indecipherable gaze. Baekhyun found no comfort or reassurance in them, just grim acceptance and a flicker of defiance.

“Tell me it’s going to be okay.”

Baekhyun knew it was unfair, no one could promise such a thing. He knew better than ever that the future held no promise for anyone, it was a tossup of chance and luck and many weren’t betting on the right color. The marble swirled around the roulette table, not a care for who had bet on what and just swirling its happy little self until it met its eventual end.

Junmyeon didn’t say anything, didn’t even offer a half smile. Instead he looked at Baekhyun like he was the most precious thing in the world, like a doll carved from ice. He reached his hands up to cup his jaw, tracing along every jut of the human’s face and smoothing back his unruly chestnut hair. Junmyeon did smile now, only it wobbled and broke along every edge until it was everything a smile wasn’t supposed to be.

Baekhyun couldn’t even begin to describe the colors his eyes were, only that this man was anything but human, what with the way he carried death like they were old friends destined to meet again. The way he was in decay yet met every day with so much life and fervor that he shined brighter than any sun the sky could offer. Baekhyun knew if he were Death, he’d be terrified of Junmyeon, to try and snuff that kind of light from the world seemed a desecration of the worst decree.

The fey put their heads together, breathing in his scent and this- this was when Baekhyun wondered what he felt like to Junmyeon. They were kids when he had tried to tell a younger Baekhyun what he was, what it meant to be friends with him. Young Baekhyun hadn’t understood the mere weight of the confession, or what it carried with it, all he understood was that his friend was different, and he wasn’t going to let him go through life alone with that kind of weight. They were teenagers when Junmyeon admitted he didn’t quite need anyone else but him, and that what he was had prevented him from bonding with many people. They were college students when Junmyeon asked permission to decree him his kin, and Baekhyun confessed he thought he already was.

Baekhyun didn’t feel much different, but Junmyeon said he had never felt such security in his life. Was that what he felt now? Secure? Baekhyun knew he was Junmyeon’s only kin, what was going through the feys mind to know he was helpless to fight the human’s battles? Was he terrified to think that as someone destined to die his only bounded kin might perish before him? Even now Baekhyun didn’t know the answers, and more frightening was that Junmyeon didn’t know either.

“I’ll be back, I promise you that.”

So many things shone in his eyes, Baekhyun was breathless to it all. Even as Junmyeon pulled away, even as he left out the door with a tear tainted black trekking down his cheek, even when he was long gone from Baekhyun’s apartment complex- the human couldn’t  _ breathe _ .

Baekhyun wondered how he’d ever remember how to breath if Junmyeon looked at him like he was already dead.

————————————

“I really don’t want to testify.”

“That’s what I thought.”

Junmyeon drummed his fingers against his coffee mug, steady steam rising in plumes to swirl around his nose. His eyes were closed in thought, sniffing the air before scrunching in distaste. Baekhyun looked down at his cold tea, he’d been sitting there long before the fey arrived, too nervous to move from when he sat down to gather his thoughts. They were still a jumbled mess, like a bound of cables coiled and tied around each other and it seemed so hopeless to try and dissect them.

“I’ll let the agents know, if you don’t want to come forward for whatever reason, you don’t have to.”

“What about my stuff? When will I have it back?”

Junmyeon shrugged, looking over at Baekhyun who refused to meet his gaze. Dark circles slept beneath his eyes, his hair was fuzzed and matted, everything about the human seeming to lose all color and life. The stress was eating him like a parasite, sucking the life out of him until he was bound to keel over from it all.

“Hey.” The fey reached over and grabbed his hands, encompassing them in the warmth from his untouched coffee. “The agents said that they have people willing to testify from the incident, two of the people who got away that night.”

“What about the other one, didn’t they say there was three?”

The human could feel the hesitance in the way Junmyeon’s hands stilled their ministrations of rubbing odd shapes into his knuckles, the returning pressure almost imperceptibly harder, more  _ tense _ .

“She died in the hospital...said it was complications with her liver.”

Baekhyun nodded, though nothing in him believed it to be true. It was nearing the end of October, Halloween just around the corner and Baekhyun felt his own life was enough horror to last him well past the season. Multiple SSNAD agents had come into his home two days after Junmyeon had left, baring a warrant just as he had predicted. They also didn’t find anything of worth, no damning evidence to connect Baekhyun to the crime in the Witchin district- yet the human didn’t feel reassured by that fact.

In actuality, Baekhyun was more worried than ever. He woke up most nights from fitful sleep feeling  _ watched _ , swearing he saw shadows at the end of his bed before switching on a light and being greeted by nothing but rushing blood and the sound of his own labored breathing. It got worse when he went outside, suddenly feeling these pinpricks stabbing his skin like a rash he couldn’t scratch away. Most days he couldn’t even bother to leave the ‘safety’ of his bedroom, the bathroom feeling more and more like a death trap waiting to snatch him up in oblivion when he least expected.

The worst part was when he was brought downtown to the precinct. He was questioned but let Junmyeon do the majority of the talking before being released on the notion of lack of evidence, apparently all the security cameras around his apartment complex went out that night, so no one knew when he got home to see if he fit the timeframe. Of course, Baekhyun’s only alibi was Jongdae and Minseok before they separated off, the duo passing him in the precinct on their way to give their statements.

“What’s happening Baekhyun?”

“Are you alright?”

The two were on him like white on rice, ready to give an interrogation of their own to their friend who had been radio silent for nearly a month. But one stern look from Junmyeon had them as quiet as a church mouse, ducking back when an impatient officer started yelling at them.

That still left him as a giant question mark in their timeline, Baekhyun saw it himself when he spied a photograph of his driver’s license clipped onto their murder wall with a tag of ‘possible witness’, along with the grainy picture of him at the convenience store next to a few other things he didn’t have the chance to see before an officer stepped in his way. The man had glared as he yanked down a sheet from the ceiling to conceal their precious board, but the human had seen enough.

Luhan looked at him differently too, like he  _ knew _ something. Baekhyun has heard of the whispered powers of blue bloods, some say it’s the reason elves were the way they are now, because their blood got tainted with misuse and it drove them to the brink of moral insanity. But Luhan didn’t strike Baekhyun as someone from one of the  _ many _ tainted elven bloodlines, perhaps his family had somehow escaped or isolated themselves from other elves, though when he had snapped at Junmyeon...that definitely wasn’t a blue blood in his kitchen.

Everyone seemed to struggle for balance, Junmyeon and Luhan struggling with unseen power within themselves as Baekhyun was just trying to keep his head above water. He felt the depths pulling at him, the currents growing stronger, everything trying to drown him where he swam in endless water.

Whether it was fortune or not was still up for grabs, but Seungyeon had phoned Junmyeon to tell him that their ongoing investigation was coming to a close. They had tracked down the two surviving coven members and struck deals with them to get them to testify to what happened, though Baekhyun was still confused. He had been since the whole investigation started.

What exactly were the police investigating? If it was a massacre on both sides, were the two survivors supposed to be testifying against each other? Who were the police trying to go after? And what did Baekhyun having escaped from the tragedy have to do with anything? He hadn’t even seen what happened after he escaped the pub, only what transpired in the back- which the police hadn’t even brought up, so clearly, they didn’t know or didn’t care to know anyway.

Baekhyun had a headache, if he were truly being watched it was because of what he had stumbled upon. But the police weren’t very forthcoming with what they had, and for good reason. At first Baekhyun thought the police wanted him to spill what he heard, but now his thoughts were all muddled and he wanted nothing to do with the police since obviously there had to be correlation between the investigation and what he had witnessed. If the bad guys wanted him to stay quiet, he would.

“Junmyeon?” The fey hummed thoughtfully in response. “What are the police investigating?”

When Baekhyun finally looked up at him, the fey had his head tilted as he stared at the human’s forehead, looking like a mesmerized puppy. It took Baekhyun clearing his throat for Junmyeon to come to, smiling sheepishly and waving off the odd behavior.

“They never told me what their case was, all I knew was that they wanted you for something. Don’t worry, it’s normal police behavior. I doubt even half the squad knows what’s going on, at least not the full story.”

Baekhyun assumes it was supposed to be comforting, all this was supposed to spell the end for the month-long drama his life had become. Yet, a horrible feeling swirled and coiled in his gut as he let his thoughts ferment in his lonely kitchen. Junmyeon was sipping his cooling dregs of coffee, staring off into space as Baekhyun was left to stir his cold tea. He watched the greenish liquid slosh around in a gentle whirlpool, stilling when he did.

Everything was quiet, everything was supposed to be going back to normal now. But some voice in Baekhyun’s head just laughed as it coiled around his mind, whispering anxieties into his shot nerves and feeding purple under his eyes. No, this wasn’t the end. It was just the beginning...they were only getting started.

Baekhyun ended up pouring out his tea.

————————————

Baekhyun got the phone call when he had just exited the cursed shower, turns out small washes in the sink weren’t doing his body any good.

“Get to the precinct.”

“Precinct? Junmyeon, what’s going on-“

“I don’t have time to explain, just- don’t get in any taxis or cabs. Get Minseok to drive you or something, okay? Don’t talk to any strangers, keep to yourself, and whatever you do- do  _ not _ stay out in the open. Get here safe Baekhyun.”

The line went dead before Baekhyun could so much as breath into the receiver. He dialed up Jongdae soon thereafter, giving him a brief rundown before him and Minseok were hightailing it over to his complex. It took much coaxing to get Baekhyun to step out of his apartment, it’d been weeks since he’d let sun hit his skin and it felt oddly hot on his sickly body.

Baekhyun forgot how to walk downstairs, stumbling and nearly falling twice down the first flight. Jongdae kept an arm around him to steady him, helping to get them over to the car that Minseok had already turned on. The human forgot just how much he’d missed out on being locked in his own home. Of course, he’d made the executive decision to do it to himself, but it was weird to see the world spinning when he’d been so stagnant.

Minseok was a safe driver, getting their slowly but without any discrepancies. Baekhyun stared out the window through the darkness of his oversized hoodie, as if he could disappear into the worn fabric. The duo flanked his sides when they parked in the stacked parking lot of the precinct, Baekhyun’s eyes never leaving the darkest corners were the shadows festered and fiddled. Even when they got into the elevator Baekhyun could still feel those phantom eyes, as if someone were looming over him with their noses a hairbreadth away from the crown of his head.

The elevator had barely dinged when Junmyeon wrestled his way into the elevator, practically wrenching the doors open to grab at Baekhyun. Minseok let out a strangled yelp when the human suddenly disappeared, Jongdae having to sprint to catch up to the duo. The trio was to the open lobby area when Minseok caught up, frost dusting the skin of his neck and fingertips in emotional turmoil.

“What are we doing here Junmyeon?” Baekhyun has the odd impulse to itch his skin until it bled. “What’s going on?”

The fey stopped dragging Baekhyun, rubbing his sore wrist in apology when he saw the way he winced. But before he could answer, a voice spoke from the other end of the precinct murder room.

“The last surviving coven members from the Witchin Massacre were murdered, found mutilated under police protection in their safe house.” Luhan was leaning against an archway leading into the murder room, staring at the wall where a mess of expo showcased a million different possibilities and leads that all pointed back to the massacre. An unseen fixture poured in light from a giant circle in the ceiling, the shape ebbing and glowing a soft white in midafternoon.

Baekhyun looked as pale as the light, ashy and frozen where he stood. Luhan turned his beaming gaze away from the wall and to him, and there was that  _ look _ . He knew Baekhyun was holding back, he just couldn’t prove it. The elf knew so much more than he led on, and the human would bet that they weren’t just called to break the tragic news.

“Did you call him down here just to tell him two people were murdered? I don’t see the point.”

Junmyeon shook his head helplessly, staring at Jongdae with wide shining eyes. The sprite and his human were completely in the dark, continuing to question the other men as Baekhyun found himself deaf to their confused questioning.

Baekhyun could see the memories so vividly, these transient flashes like a skipping record. He could see the man with striking blue hair, an electric neon color that glowed even in the dark. He saw the curve of his extended throat as he was dragged across the ground by the collar, dark crimson dribbling down his chin. His skin wasn’t pale, but a blinding white as if it’d been painted on. It made the blood all the starker, like smears of black on a marble statue.

He saw the blooming purple across his high cheekbones, and the delicate blue powder coating his colored eyelids. Baekhyun could see it so clearly, these mysterious figures standing over this wraith like man and conjuring a long blade of black. There was a glow of weird squiggles along the black metal, pummel catching the light of the full moon as the area around the sword seemed to suck all light until it emanated shadows.

Baekhyun could even feel the way the air shifted as the blade tore through it and plunged deep into the man’s chest, staining his silken shirt a sickly black. See the dull black symbol of a split circle burning black in the gloomy night. He could feel the blood roaring in his veins and heart beating furiously as he went running across the city driven by a visceral fear and adrenaline. Could feel the horrible stretch of time from when he escaped to his home until the first peak of sun breaking on the horizon, when he stayed curled in his closet with two different knives clutched in his hands.

The human felt faint, lungs hot and tight. His head was cotton, tongue sandpaper, body numb. Baekhyun was looking through a kaleidoscope, everything shifting and swirling in harmful bouts of color. His ears rung as if a gong had been struck beside his eardrums, two marbles of blue never once leaving where they settled on him.

“No.” Baekhyun rasped weakly, staggering back when his knees buckled. “No no no, I can’t- I-I can’t-“

Someone tried to grab his arm, he didn’t know who, but he tore himself away nonetheless. Breathing had become so difficult as he shoveled in more air every passing second, trying to make up the lost distance and falling behind anyway.

“You-you can’t make me- no no no you  _ can’t _ -“ The human was shaking his head, so hard it felt like he dislodged his brain and it started to rattle uselessly alongside the endless tinnitus in his ears. “I won’t- I won’t I won’t I  _ won’t!” _

Baekhyun slammed into a nearby desk, eyes wide in a frenzy as he yanked up his long sleeves and dug his nails into the skin. He scratched and scratched at the deep  _ itch _ in his dermis, eyes rolling at the pain, but he couldn’t  _ stop _ . They were  _ watching _ , they were  _ always watching _ . Baekhyun could feel their eyes even now, and he felt dirty knowing they were never gone, constantly staring at him until he felt  _ naked _ under their intense gaze.

There were hands, these presences crowding his space and he felt  _ suffocated _ . He couldn’t breathe, he couldn’t  _ breathe _ \- he needed it all to  _ stop _ . Everything was crashing after the crescendo, a loud symphony banging against his head and the world was closing in with the pounding bass. Baekhyun could hear faint laughing but couldn’t tell if it was himself or the noises in his head trying to drive him over the edge, if he wasn’t already falling.

(I don’t know why I skipped this part…only a few paragraphs of transition)

He was overwhelmed, and tired- so so  _ so _ tired. He was broken, they broke him. He didn’t care anymore if they wanted to kill him, he just wanted it all to stop. The eyes, the watching, the shadows, the nightmares- all of it. He wanted it all  _ gone _ , he couldn’t take the stress any longer. Baekhyun just really wanted to cry but now he was just on the edge of screaming and ripping his hair out, so he decided it was probably best not to cry in the middle of the street in front of the police station.

There were a series of quick footsteps down the long series of cement steps, the footfalls echoing in the buzz of quiet that surrounded the brunette, nails digging into his hairline as the palms of his heel dig into his eyes until he saw white spots. Baekhyun knew who it was even through the rising tide, the only person stupid enough to swim into a riptide after a flailing human.

“They’re after me Junmyeon-“

“I know Baekhyun, it’s alright- just calm down.” The fey tried to breech the invisible bubble that surrounded the human, only for the latter to hiss at him with a wild craze in his almond eyes that were black with emotion.

“I can’t calm down Junmyeon- they’ve been watching me since I ran away form that bar and I’m done- I’m so  _ fucking _ done.” Baekhyun couldn’t tell if he was crying, but he was gripping the fey so hard his own fingers ached as his teeth were rattling around in his head.

“Baekhyun-“

“No! No no no no  _ no _ \- you don’t understand!” He was  _ definitely _ crying now, his own voice rising as he felt sobs pressing against the small confines of his throat. His vision was blurry and he didn’t bother to try and see through it all, didn’t care how he probably looked like a raging lunatic having a mental breakdown in the middle of the city because he  _ felt _ like a raging lunatic with how mad these people have driven him.

“I saw them-“ Baekhyun pulled the fey closer, forehead crashing into his carelessly as the pain melted in with the shitstorm that was his fried brain. “I saw them kill a man.” He whispered into their shared space, and he couldn’t recognize his own raspy and warbled voice.

“They killed him Junmyeon, right in the middle of the alleyway. There was a full moon, men in black and they fucking  _ murdered _ him.” Baekhyun was spewing spittle and crying with snot running down his face as he could feel so many eyes, he couldn’t tell who the patrons were and who were the cold-blooded killers ready to smear his blood on the pavement.

“They killed him- they killed him they killed him they killed him-“ He started to laugh, a heart wrenching, nails on chalkboard, absolutely chilling sound. He was crying and laughing and shaking Junmyeon by the lapels of his jacket because he didn’t  _ care _ anymore. He just wanted it all to  _ end _ .

“And the best part?” Baekhyun brought his spit slicked lips to his friends’ ear, painful laughs dying out as his ears rung and the world spun. “They used black magic to do it.”

Baekhyun was crying again, knees buckling as they slammed into the ground and Junmyeon remained standing, frozen in his spot. The human curled his spine until his forehead was resting on the cold cement of the sidewalk and he screamed out his frustrations. He felt like a smashed clock that still struck, though the sound was strangled- screeching through its broken mechanisms.

Baekhyun curled his fists into his hair and cried, he sobbed as loud as he pleased because he wouldn’t be around long enough to care what others thought of his mental breakdown. The breakdown of a man who saw what nobody was meant to see. Tears splattering the pavement like blood, and he was too gone to care to wipe them away.

“They’re going to kill me...” He whispered into the ground, as if it were his own worst kept secret, a truth he never wanted revealed. “And now they’re going to kill you too.”

Just then, a shrill shriek whistled through the air. If Baekhyun’s eats weren’t already ringing from the mere force of his delirium, surely, they’d now be in pain by the sudden sound. The human cried out in surprise when he saw flashes in his peripheral, body flung back from the impact of the mysterious projectile. A starburst shaped mark was burned into the ground, char staining what was once a somewhat unblemished sidewalk. Steam arose from the burn, a faint sizzle baking the cement.

There was screaming, mothers grabbing their children, men on their way to the office hightailing it across the street and teenagers running in front of cars to avoid the unseen threat. The crowd blurred together in the chaos, everyone running on instinct and pushing each other out of their way as another high-pitched whistle came whizzing by. Baekhyun’s body moved on instinct, leaving his mind somewhere by the starburst burn as he rolled towards the stairs as another blast sent miniature heatwaves through the air.

There were still too many people, too much screaming and children crying for Baekhyun to see where the attacker was. Police were pouring out of the station at the commotion, raising their guns and waving them around the street riddled with discord. There was another whistle and Baekhyun stumbled back to the ground as he went skidding across the cement, the projectile too close and the aftershock sending his palms skidding across the coarse ground. The pain didn’t even register as the next whistle sounded, and Baekhyun wasn’t fast enough.

But Junmyeon was.

The human didn’t quite feel the feys body ramming into his, no, he felt the blast through his meat shield. Junmyeon’s body thrummed with the dark energy, shuddering and shaking where his arms were wrapped around Baekhyun, pinning him to the ground right behind a nearby concrete shrubbery. It didn’t smell like carrion, but of burning flesh and the human wanting to gag but ending up screaming instead.

Baekhyun pushed his friend off his body, pulling him to his lap to look at his face. It was as dark as wet stone, hair an inkier black than usual with matching blood staining the seam of his lips. His expressive eyes were closed and Junmyeon was unresponsive to Baekhyun’s screaming and violent shaking. The feys jacket and shirt were burned through the back, the cauterized skin tainted black with ash and char, the area encompassing nearly the entirety of his back.

“Junmyeon- Junmyeon wake up!  _ Junmyeon! _ “

There a whistle and a hiss of burning stone, tears trekking down the human’s cheeks as he held his unconscious friend, eyes blurry and head absolutely pounding. He screamed in agony, the sound reverberating over the continued onslaught of projectiles- one burning through the shrub overhead in a flurry of blue and green.

Suddenly there were hands on him, and he screamed louder than he thought humanly possible, hurting his own ears with the pitch. I’ve met uncontrollable fire and Luhan was grabbing at him, trying to dislodge him from Junmyeon and pull him away. Baekhyun started to throw punches, the emotional agony making him go into a blind rage as he couldn’t imagine letting go of the fey. The human didn’t care if he died now, not if it meant he’d be alongside Junmyeon the whole way through, he would never leave him behind.

“I’m not leaving Junmyeon!”

“I never said you had to-“ Luhan grabbed his wrist on his next swing, locking eyes with two blinding ones of his own. Baekhyun had never seen eyes fiercer than the ones he stared at now, defiant and hard as diamonds, just as unbreakable too.

“I need you to let go of him so I can grab him and we can make a run to the precinct-“ Luhan moved faster than Baekhyun’s human brain could register, pushing them to the ground when a fireball of some sort burned through the shrubs right where they had stood. “But you need to let go first.”

Baekhyun looked down between their bodies to where he was still holding onto Junmyeon, face not quite peaceful but rather expressionless and smooth. He looked back up to Luhan, surprised by his own stubbornness and the elf’s endless patience as the attacks became more frequent and closer to where they hid.

“Promise me-“

“I promise I’ll keep him safe.” The elf answered before he could finish, without hesitation and with eyes that told Baekhyun more than his words ever could.

He swallowed down the rising panic, ignored the pain of his scorching throat, and finally wiped at the grime and drying tear tracks on his face. For the first time in the past month, Baekhyun put on a brave face and put the world behind him for just a moment, the weightlessness of it all threatening to carry him away.

“Take him.”

They wasted no more time, Luhan scooping up the fey as if he weighed nothing as Baekhyun pushed himself up on weak limbs. The human stayed close behind the elf, the agent leading them around the shrubbery and towards the parking garage. The trio slipped in past the rising gates; the post abandoned by the guard to presumably check out the commotion.

The vast parking garage echoed with their paired footfalls, the cacophony of the outdoors leaving them as they traveled further in. Oddly enough, they made it to the elevators without an issue, Baekhyun staring at his warped reflection in all the police cruisers he passed by. Baekhyun found his hand shaking when he pushed the cracked-up arrow, but he didn’t know if it was fear, shock, or adrenaline that caused the tremor.

They waited, but the elevator didn’t come.

Baekhyun coughed too try and clear the flutter in his gut, pushing the button again but much more forceful, as it that’d make the elevator come faster. He heard no ding and the button was still emitting a rusty orange, and he did the only thing he saw fit. The human jammed the button until his hand grew tired, then pushed it some more.

“The stairs are locked on the bottom floor,” Luhan said as he broke Baekhyun’s button pressing concentration. “How about we just walk up the slope and get to the stairs on the next floor?

“But I just used this elevator not even fifteen minutes ago.” Baekhyun littered as he stubbornly hit the up-arrow button, the light mocking him. “It should be working.”

“We can’t stay down here nah longer, we’re sitting ducks until we get into the building. Let’s just go, before I get winded carrying your friend.”

Baekhyun glared but assented anyway when he caught a glimpse of Junmyeon, who was looking worse by the minute. So, they started their way up the winding slope of the garage park, the lane wide enough for two cars to go up and down as they pleased. Baekhyun strained his ears to listen for the telltale whistles from outside but found an eerie quiet instead. He looked to Luhan to see if he could feel the weird tone in the air, only to find that he was already looking at him.

Luhan gestured to the last curve before the next floor and gently laid Junmyeon down on the floor, pulling out his handgun from its holster. He held one delicate finger to his lips, pointing to the next floor, then to the fey. Baekhyun nodded, content to stay by his friend while the agent went to scope out the buzzing silence.

After the elf disappeared around the corner, Baekhyun listened for any sounds of action. He leaned back and forth on his heels since he could never stay still for long, wrapping his arms around his knees and looking down at Junmyeon. He’d taken a hit for him, didn’t even hesitate while Baekhyun was busy crying and screaming like a lunatic. Though the human didn’t feel overwhelmed anymore, like an overflowing kettle, everything seemed to have been poured out and now he was left empty and alone.

Baekhyun suddenly felt those eyes again, energy drifting under his skin as he saw his matted fringe lifting from his eyes, floating in the air as if gravity had a switch and it’d been flicked off. The human looked down the curved slope, heart dropping when he spotted a figure in all black. He wore a trench coat that seemed to be sewn from shadows, the flaps weaving and ebbing every second in dark mist. A wide brim hat sat atop his head embroidered with sagging chains, the metal glinting dangerously in the suddenly dark corridor.

His feet looked bulky with how thick his boots were, their edges blurred like a penumbra and little wisps of black swirled around him like snakes. His eyes were cracked and smeared in abyss, fissures spindling and disappearing under his face mask. In his outstretched hand he held a growing ball of light, as if it were as harmless as a tennis ball.

Baekhyun could only stare in a frightened stupor, watching as the purple ball of fire couldn’t even be seen in the reflection of the man’s black eyes. All energy seeming to be sucked from the man’s surroundings, like he was a black hole ripping through the fabric of reality- his whole being screaming a wrongness that wasn’t supposed to be on this plane.

The mystery man’s arm cranked back, Baekhyun helpless to watch as the bright purple light hissed angrily before whistling through the air, bounding  _ straight _ towards him. The human could feel the heat of the projectile, see every shifting color and hear the screams of tortured souls that seemed to be woven into the hatred of the fireball. But in a flash of blue light, Luhan was there with his arms in an x-formation, gritting against the force of the ball against his sparkling azure shield, the protection quickly dying out thereafter.

“Go!” The elf shouted, twisting his feet into the pavement as he stared down his opponent. “Get into the precinct and don’t look back, no matter what you hear!”

Baekhyun didn’t need to be told twice, wrapping Junmyeon’s around his neck and hauling him up the best he could.  The fey was dead weight and it was obvious in the way his feet dragged against the floor; sound lost to the sound of violence behind him. Whistles and hisses echoed across the parking garage floor, sounding like the mystery man was right behind him- ready to send his body aflame in varying shades of blue and purple.

Lights were flashing and reflecting in the glass of the car windows, several alarms going off after a particularly loud blast. The air was thick as smoke, black mist penetrating the edges of his visions where it glided across the ceiling. The fey weighed more than Baekhyun would have thought, but he was nearly to the stairs and could practically taste the fresh air.

The human wanted nothing more than to turn around and spy what was transpiring behind him, but Luhan’s words rung loud and clear in his head. He pushed himself up the last tilted slope, flinching back when a stray fireball painted the elevator door a few feet away a starburst black. In what felt like an eternity, but what was probably only a few seconds, Baekhyun slammed his shoulder against the metal of the stairwells door and burst through. He spared not even a courtesy glance back when the door slammed behind him and he started his painful ascent up.

Everything was a blur afterwards, even looking back Baekhyun couldn’t remember much through the thick blanket of exhaustion. At some point he collapsed on the stairs when his legs gave out, falling on Junmyeon and feeling hands gripping at him, attempting to pull him up. The sounds of battle were gone, and he couldn’t bother to open his eyes, everything weighed too much as if gravity was working against him.

Baekhyun was told he passed out on the stairwell; this was after he woke up in a makeshift infirmary somewhere within the police station. The sky outside was dark and starless, angry clouds swarming the sky and suffocating the waning moon. He was left swathed in a blanket, lights turned out in his room that was furnished with nothing but a metal table and a yoga mat on which he sat. He assumed it was an interrogation room what with the giant one-way mirror that took up a good portion of one wall.

There was a sliver of light from the cracks in the door, warm and fuzzy as it swept under the door and tapered off into darkness near his bare feet. Baekhyun had stayed in the fetal position throughout his vague little briefing, and long after the officer had left. Only getting up to shuffle to the door, pressing his ear against the thick wood to hear the faint whispers beyond. He reached up to the doorknob to see if it was locked, the handle turned, and more light spilled in before he quietly shut the door again.

Baekhyun wasn’t ready to face the world quite yet. He wanted to enjoy what little he could from the solitude of the barren room, pretend that this peaceful darkness would sweep him away to somewhere where the eyes couldn’t reach, and the shadows could fester. For now, Baekhyun was just another human caught in the crossfires of an attack, not the target of said attack.

For now, Baekhyun was no one, because when he stepped out of this room...he was sure he wouldn’t be a nobody anymore. He’d be somebody he never wanted to be, and his world was never going to be the same again.

————————————

The light hurt Baekhyun’s eyes when the door opened an imperceivable amount of time later, a silhouette leaning against the door jamb when the human blinked away the tears clogging his eyes. After readjusting to the new light, Baekhyun was met with somebody he, surprisingly, least expected.

“Seungyeon?”

The human agents face was shrouded in darkness, eyes lost to the shadows, but he could feel the intensity of it pressing against his skin. Baekhyun propped himself on an elbow, trying to search her nonchalant posture for any giveaway as to why she was there. “Seungyeon?”

She jerked her head to the bright world beyond her shoulders, sunglasses perched on the crown of her head like they were glued to her person at all times. “Time to face the music Byun.”

Any other time Baekhyun would have loved music, but all he could hear was hissing whistles and sizzling skin. His throat was parched and eyes still moist from the sudden onslaught of light in his room, bloodshot from lack of sleep. He tried to remember what it was like to just lay down, close his eyes, and succumb to the tiredness that tugged at his mind like a disease. But after so long staring at the ceiling of his bedroom and counting the discrepancies in the material...Baekhyun forgot what it was like to operate on a full night of sleep.

Everything ached and tremored when he attempted to push his weight under him, when was the last time he ate? Drank? Everything in body was running on low and the human already felt exhaustion fatiguing his muscles, Seungyeon doing nothing but watching his endless struggle to  _ stand _ .

When he eventually stood on his feet like a newborn fawn, Baekhyun stumbled over to the door and was tempted to take the agents sunglasses to block out the brightness of the precinct. But he resisted, pushing past Lee to where the gridded walls of the murder room obscured his view. The pair walked around, Baekhyun spying a few figures through the holes as Seungyeon led him around the curved walls.

The giant circle in the ceiling was a warm orange, softening the atmosphere of the room filled with pictures of bloodied and mutilated corpses. It pulsated at his arrival, signaling the group in the room to look their way. Baekhyun stopped by the right-side entrance even as Seungyeon continued on without a care; his gaze meeting a worried Minseok’s, the red-rimmed ones of Jongdae and-

“Yixing?” Baekhyun whispered in disbelief, eyes wide as he beheld the man who was leaning against the whiteboard with eyes downcast. At the sound of his name, the bokor looked up, eyes widening larger than the humans as he rushed over to where Baekhyun had his shoulders covered in a thin blanket. He gripped him, staring down at him like he was a ghost.

“Baekhyun- you’re okay-“ Yixing pulled him forward and squeezed him hard enough to hear the auditable whoosh that left Baekhyun, lungs burning in protest.

“He won’t be okay for long if you keep constricting him like that.” Minseok pulled the taller male off of him and gave the human an apologetic smile, worry lacing his face even through the almost forced smile.

Baekhyun smiled nonetheless, a small, frail thing. He felt like a dead leaf, easy to crumble and at the mercy of the wind as he felt like he was going to ripped and carried away at any second. “What are you doing here Yixing? I thought you were out of the country...?”

The blonde laughed, dimples popping and golden hair glinting in the orange light. His carefree nature was infectious, the human could feel some of the tension leaving his shoulders at he stared at the sun personified.

“I just flew back a few days ago, I came here as soon as I  _ saw _ what happened.” Baekhyun nodded in understanding, watching as his moon silver eyes flickered white.

“I’m sorry to interrupt this heartwarming reunion,” An officer, Kibum, spoke with his canorous voice resonating through the open room. “But we have some very pressing matters to attend to.”

The man’s eyes were a violent violet, ghoulish features casting shadows on his face in otherwise soft lighting. His hair was short cropped and black, lips white with foreign runes encompassing his throat like a chokehold. Baekhyun nodded under his persistent gaze, worrying his lip as he averted his shaky vision.

“Where’s Luhan? Junmyeon?”

“Hospital.” That was the only reply he got from the ghoul, face frozen in unpleasantry. The precinct was pin-drop silent, devoid of any and all officers besides the two who probably had the worst bedside manners.

“What is your investigation really about?” Baekhyun asked into the charged atmosphere, eyes lingering on the ebbing shape in the ceiling. Yixing at some point had wrapped an arm around his waist, unabashedly meeting the ghouls cold gaze.

Kibum nodded as if he deemed it a fair question, looking over to Seungyeon who had her glasses balancing at the tip of her button nose. She shrugged, “Luhan isn’t here, you’re in charge.”

The ghoul seemed pleased at that, footfalls echoing up the sloped ceiling and amplifying his slow steps. He wore a crisp white shirt, shiny cuff links reflecting glaring skulls which gleamed when he flicked his wrists. He strode over to a blank whiteboard, pulling it from the wall and flipping it around to its backside.

Everyone gasped save for the officers, a whole series of arrows pointing every which way and darting across the smooth white surface. A few photographs upheld by magnets littered the board, a blown-up headshot of a brute man with stubble, scars, and a strong jaw took front and center. But that wasn’t all, Kibum walked further right and pulled two more boards from the wall, flipping them around to show similar boards of two more men.

Baekhyun felt like someone punched him in the chest.

The middle board showcased a thinner man, lither with a longer face and sharper eyes. He was striking, a dark unconventional beauty and everything his companion to the left wasn’t. His skin was pale and smooth, lips thin but quirked from where the camera caught his green gaze. He bore no scars, but his eyes told a different, indecipherable story.

It was the man from the incident. The one who glowed a deep green from his head, even beholding the same symbol. A perfect circle cut into eight equal parts. The harsh angles that made up his face were softened with the absence of lingering shadows, eyes a storm of greens instead of a burning hellfire of black. He looked equally as terrifying, Baekhyun couldn’t even make long eye contact with his picture, swearing its eyes were following his every movement.

When Baekhyun quickly moved to the last board, he was a little bemused at the appearance of a handsome man with big ears and wide eyes. He was the only one truly smiling, picture captured at an angle where his head was slightly turned, eyes looking off in the cropped distance.

The man looked inherently less evil than the other two, but much more mischievous. He had a crooked smile, lopsided with a crinkle to his crow’s feet. His hair was an international klein blue swept into a perfect comma, with matching eyes so stunning Baekhyun couldn’t look away. He’d never seen such a color in eyes, not even Junmyeon’s.

“These are the Covens Three, all under the suspicion of using illegal dark magic for their own personal gain. These first two-“ Kibum pointed to the middle man and the first one. “Have stronger evidence of pointing to nonconsensual magix in relation to humans and dark magic, while the last one-“ Kibum again pointed to the gorgeous man with the blue hair. “Has  _ less _ dark magic trails, but has a few leads pointing to human magix and with his power-stacked coven; is under suspicion of any other crimes against the occultist law.”

Kibum turned back to Baekhyun, eyes nearly pink as he regarded him like an bug under a microscope. “You...we have reason to believe you may have seen one of these men’s coven perform capital crimes against the occultist law the night of the Witchin Massacre. Luhan was using his elven connections to try and decipher how exactly you got into the district but...other  _ things _ seemed to have gotten in the way.”

Baekhyun had no idea how Luhan worked with these types of people, a ghoul and an aggressive human on top of whatever misfits in his unit he had to apparently lead. Kibum always looked so calculating, putting his undivided attention onto Baekhyun and looking at him like he was trying to decide whether or not he was worth the trouble. While Seungyeon was looking bored where she sat staring at the coven leaders’ photos, picking at her nails with her jacket pushed back to display her gun and badge.

Yixing rubbed his hip, probably sensing the tension that was bleeding through the human. Kibum didn’t look the least bit interested as he awaited Baekhyun’s response, but he didn’t know what to say. Junmyeon was the legal one here, he had been guiding Baekhyun through the dark with the promise of safety. Now Junmyeon was gone, off to the hospital, and Baekhyun was left to fend for himself in a world that he couldn’t see.

Was he supposed to come clean? Was he supposed to tell this ghoul, whom he’d only ever met twice before, everything he’d been compartmentalizing over the past month? This whole thing was bigger than Baekhyun had ever imagined- capital crimes? That was death penalty type shit, dark magic and human magix was  _ way _ out of the human’s sphere, and now he was being asked to take a step into this investigation? Baekhyun was nearly  _ killed _ and he hadn’t even told the police anything! What would happen to him if he were to decide to take part against these  _ witches _ who would use any type of magic- dark or not- to get him silenced  _ permanently _ .

Would he be put to death like a dog in a dark alleyway, surrounded by flickering walls and black magic? Would he end up like that blue boy? Stabbed and sacrificed or doomed to whatever the fuck those witches were doing to him? Baekhyun could feel the phantom tingle of a blade against his skin, of black liquid pooling on his tongue and drowning his lungs.

Where was Junmyeon when he needed him most?

“What are their names?”

Kibum quirked his head when Jongdae broke his silence, looking confused and more than a little annoyed at the question.

“What do their names have to do with anything?”

“Well, you keep talking about these leaders like they’re  _ real _ important guys, and I’d like if I could call them by name instead of Scarface, Slenderman, and the evil male version of Dawn from Pokémon.”

Baekhyun was grateful for his best friend, who was confidently staring down the ghoul who looked as though he wanted to smite him on the spot. Minseok was silent where he was seated in a nearby chair, unbothered as he stared at the ground in deep thought. After a long beat of intense gazing, Kibum assented with a loud and aggressive sigh through the nose. He audibly slapped his palm on the first board, glaring at Jongdae as he said, “Kwan Kyowon.”

Jongdae nodded thoughtfully, rubbing his chin as Kibum moved to the middle board.

“Choi Eunjae.” Baekhyun stared at the man’s broad shoulders, eyes wondering to the thing on his forehead.  _ No one should have that kind of power _ ...

The ghoul then hovered by the last board, looking on in disgust at the handsome blue-haired witch, to which he spat the name. “Park Chanyeol.”

“You don’t seem to like him very much.” Jongdae remarked, brows furrowing as he squinted at the mans lopsided smile and wind tousled hair. “I fail to see why. You seem more like a  _ Kyowon _ guy to me.”

Kibum made even a glare look tiring, annoyance bleeding through every orifice as disgust was written plainly on his face. The ghoul didn’t seem to like humans very much, funny, since that used to be their favorite meal. Perhaps that’s why ghouls were always so uptight and grumpy, constantly seeing food flaunting around and being unable to take a bite. Its why vampires are near extinct, that, and restrictions dealing with Turning.

“I hate that man because he simply is too enigmatic, no coven leader has a  _ right _ to privacy. Yet, Park Chanyeol is an exception. Everything about him is a secret, and a man with as many secrets as him is hiding something dire.”

“So...you don’t like him because he  _ may _ have done something illegal, but you have no proof of it...seems reasonable.”

Seungyeon was nodding her head with Kibum turned away from her, eyes wide and whistling lowly. “He’s the whole reason he’s up there in the first place, Kibum just  _ had _ to rope the man into these dealings.”

“We have proof of illegal human magix because of me! That man has been using humans as his lab rats for his magical pleasure, and we’ll bust him for worse dealing as the trial goes on.”

“Kibum.” The human agent sighed. “Luhan went over this already, the trial won’t provide us any time to bust Chanyeol for black magic unless a witness statement damns him or one of his coven members fold. Which will  _ never _ happen.  _ Never _ .” She added extra emphasis when the ghoul opened his mouth to object.

“And what are those things.” Jongdae took the brief pause in conversation to point at the glowing symbols on all of their foreheads. Kyowon had a crimson mark, consisting of six points and six sides that glowed darkly even in the photo, nearly impossible to miss.

“It’s a sigil.” Kibum sighed, looking pained. He talked slowly, as if he were teaching an ignoramus child something simple. “Every coven leader gains one when ascending to power, Kyowon has a hexagram.”

“What does it mean?”

“A hexagram?” Kibum shrugged nonchalantly, turning away to waltz to Eunjae. “Satan and dark magic.”

Minseok choked, Jongdae and Baekhyun gaping at the officer as he moved on as if he hadn’t just said that the witch’s forehead didn’t quite literally spell dark magic and demonic power.

Kibum stopped by the middle board. Eunjae had a swamp green sigil, just as potent as the last one. It shone proudly through his cropped hair, just how Baekhyun remembered it. “Sun wheel,” Kibum said unprompted. “It’s up to interpretation, but it’s essentially something about power and light.”

Baekhyun held in his snort, that man represented anything but  _ light _ .

He came upon Chanyeol, his sigil somewhat blocked by his smooth and sweeping hair. At first, he seemed not to have one, but upon closer inspection Baekhyun could see he did indeed have a sigil- it was iridescent and a silver similar to Yixing’s eyes. Beside his photo was a blocky printout of his symbol, thick black lines portraying a crescent balanced precariously upon a circle.

“Horned God,” Kibum said with a roll of his eyes. “Represents masculine energy in their  _ precious _ variation of Wiccan. I don’t really care to know their meanings, to me they just say they’re the leaders of some pretty powerful covens and that’s all that matters.” The ghoul waved a dismissive hand towards the Covens Three, turning back to Baekhyun with that penetrative gaze.

“Stop procrastinating, we know you saw something that night. Fess up and we’ll give you police protection, you’ll be safe in our hands.”

“Like the two murdered coven members you were going to have  _ testify _ against those leaders!?” Baekhyun pointed to the long whiteboard taking up the majority of the back wall, peaking past the coven leaders were photographs of the bloodbath that had been the supposed ‘safe house’. Baekhyun couldn’t even tell that the witches were actual  _ people _ with how mutilated their bodies were- sliced and diced and taken apart like broken Barbie dolls.

Transient images of himself being ripped apart while he screamed for mercy burned the back of his eyelids, suddenly his voice seemed to become stuck behind the lump of growing emotion plugging his throat. The brunette found purchase in Yixing’s coarse shirt, arm brushing his yellow stained jacket and various woven necklaces.

Kibum looked visibly upset at the mention of the two murdered witnesses, a wound left open for Baekhyun to rub salt into. Seungyeon looked up from her nails, glancing up at Eunjae’s photo where his deep green eyes reflected the cameras flash. Minseok scratched at the growing first of his neck, Jongdae audibly smacking his hand away.

Junmyeon wasn’t there, but Yixing was.

As if sensing his thought process, the bokor looked down at the human, pursing his lips as he exchanged a glance with the candid shots of the witches. “Can we speak about this in private?” Yixing asked, his high cadence gentle as he looked at the ghoul.

Kibum looked displeased but assented with one sure kick from Seungyeon. The blonde smiled kindly as he begun to guide Baekhyun away from the grand domed room, the circular fixture ebbing it’s goodbye as they passed the grated walls. Yixing led the human like a lost sheep, gently pulling him into a nearby office and readjusting his falling blanket back to his shoulders.

He flicked the light switch and the fluorescent light glared harshly compared to the gentle glow of the murder room, Baekhyun having to comedically blink his eyes to readjust to the many lighting changes of the damned building. Yixing laughed softly, ruffling his hair affectionately as he passed to sit on the edge of a nearby desk.

The bokor wove his fingers together, resting them in his lap as the occult seemed so out of place in the mundane office of some rookie police officer. He was like a drop of red in a sea of white paint, so different from its surroundings. The threads of his shirts were loose, the straw of one of his necklaces poking out in a seemingly uncomfortable manner as the blonde was everything Junmyeon wasn’t.

He was carefree, loose, laid-back and nonchalant with the roll-with-the-punches kind of philosophy. He wore hexes and charms alike, stuck pins and needles through his ears for the hell of it. Yixing was everything Junmyeon despised, unplanned and a loose cannon. A bokor who gambled with magic that wasn’t inherently his, messed with the strings of destiny that tied together the very fabric of reality.

But Junmyeon wasn’t here to hiss at the blonde’s existence, to be the logical angel on Baekhyun’s shoulder- because he was somewhere tied to various machines as he fought against whatever magic was in those saturated fireballs. But...Yixing  _ was _ , and like perfect ying and yang, he was the opposite pole to Junmyeon’s magnet. If he couldn’t have one side of the coin, he’d settle for the other.

“I’m assuming you know that  _ I  _ know something that they want.” Yixing nodded, he usually knew more than he led on-

Just like Junmyeon.

“So...I need counsel.”

Yixing, again, nodded. His whole aura relaxed Baekhyun, brought forth the aches in his shoulders and muscles only to massage them away. He leaned back to stare at the ceiling, fiddling with a bangle formed from a smashed buffalo coin. Baekhyun waited anxiously, shifting his weight from one foot till the next as the balls of his feet burned from standing still for too long.

“Well...” Yixing breathed out. “Clearly this is a life or death situation, and neither of us want you to die.” Baekhyun nodded at that.

The bokor continued on. “So, those guys obviously came after you even  _ after _ you said nothing to the police. I mean,  _ yeah _ , you said something to Junmyeon- correct?”

Baekhyun nodded again, hooked on every word he said. The human felt so dependent, but in all honestly this type of decision shouldn’t be made on his own, not with all its nexuses.

“Then looking at it in simple terms, it’d be best to get police protection. There’s only so much Junmyeon and silence can do to protect you, and now that these witches see you as a liability; they’re going to want you dead to save their own skin. Just look at those other witnesses.”

“But that’s the point,” Baekhyun argues senselessly. “Those guys are  _ dead; _ they were willing to testify and now they’re...”

“They may be dead Baekhyun,” Yixing stood up and placed a placating hand on his shoulder, Luhan’s and Junmyeon’s facing blurring into his own. “But you  _ aren’t _ . Not to mention you aren’t one of their coven members, they were probably murdered because of their betrayal  _ before _ they were murdered for what they knew.”

Baekhyun sighed in exasperation, letting his head fall to his friend’s chest as tears spring to his eyes. He was so scared.

“Plus,” Yixing added quietly. “Security will definitely be tighter for you, what with the incident of the witnesses before and the fact you’re their only witness. I say you talk not only for your own safety, but for the safety of others in danger from these corrupt coven leaders.”

Baekhyun hated how he  _ knew _ deep down Yixing was right, that talking would be the morally  _ right _ thing to do and looking at the larger scale of things; his death would be outweighed by the death of hundreds more if he let these kleptocrats rein terror any longer. He just hoped Junmyeon wouldn’t be mad with what he was about to do.

“Okay...” Baekhyun whispered into the loose threads of Yixing’s button up, sighing at the sensation of fingers carding through his matted hair and massaging his neglected scalp. “I think I know what I have to do.”


	3. Chapter 3

“I’m going to kill him.”

“You’ve been trying to kill Yixing since you got discharged from the hospital.” Baekhyun muttered as he stared down at his full glass of beer, swirling the cup and watching as its contents swam in a whirlpool of amber and froth. “Considering he’s still breathing; I’m going to assume you’re making very little progress.”

Junmyeon sneered, gripping his own glass until a small fissure cracked the bottom. Baekhyun had to calmly extract the glass before it completely shattered, purposefully turning it away from the bartender so he wouldn’t see the damage. Unfortunately, it didn’t take away the seething anger seeping out of the fey, the muscles in his jaw taut and twitching beneath the surface. A visible neck vein popping as he swallowed his own words with a scowl in place.

Baekhyun didn’t bother to try and talk sense into this side of Junmyeon, the fey side that got very territorial  _ very _ easily. Sometimes Baekhyun forgets just how  _ much _ Junmyeon hates Yixing, the thought of their first encounter a painfully repressed memory. The decision had been made weeks ago, autumn soon to fall victim to winter and Junmyeon had taken the news just as well as Baekhyun predicted.

Which was horribly.

The fey has nearly taken out the hospital staff with how berserk he went, tearing down expensive equipment and breaking more than a few windows. He remembered with striking clarity the fear on the doctors faces when their elephant tranquilizer didn’t even slow the feys step, angering the beast even more until they had to drag Luhan from his intensive care unit to dispose of Junmyeon.

Baekhyun had been evacuated along with most of the hospital by that point, only seeing bright flashes of blue a few stories higher than where he stood on the pavement, neck straining from looking up for so long. Luhan spent several more days in the hospital than anticipated after the incident. Even when he was discharged, Baekhyun wasn’t allowed to see the elf, the dark-haired male ceasing to exist until the very week before the preliminary trial.

Which brought the human to where he sat at the bar, waiting patiently to discuss with his fuming lawyer about what he should be expecting at the event, only to watch his beer warm beneath his sweaty palms.

“So...preliminary trial?”

Junmyeon huffed, he appeared miffed but the fey was never too far from being levelheaded. He refused to meet Baekhyun’s expectant gaze, but answered the hanging question nonetheless, face slowly crumbly into neutrality.

“It’s the trial before the trial.” Junmyeon answered simply. “The defense will call up potential witnesses, call into question evidence, all in order to try and avoid trial. All while the prosecutor attempts to prove probably cause.”

“Will they ask for my testimony?” Baekhyun questioned hesitantly, worrying his lip that was cracking from the constant abuse. He was walking blind, and even with his friends experienced and careful guidance, he was scared of what might be out in the dark.

“Not if there’s enough evidence to prove probably cause, we’re just there as a kind of backup plan.” Junmyeon signed for the nth time since the beginning of this whole mess, downing his cracked cup in one go. “The prosecution isn’t keen on sharing what they have in terms of evidence, but I’m sure we have nothing to worry about. This will be the trial of the century; they wouldn’t go into something as simple as a preliminary trial without proper  _ evidence _ .”

Baekhyun nodded, tangling his ankles in the twisted metal of the barstool. He raked his eyes over the colorful assortment of alcohol behind the counter, a rainbow of glass that reminded him of the shattered remains of the pub from what seemed so long ago. He saw the bartender through tunneled vision, giving a genuine laugh down the way, eyes crinkling at some slapstick joke from a midday drunkard. It wasn’t hard to imagine him slung over the bar impaled and pallid from blood loss; eyes blank and face bloodied with the cheerful shards of glass marking his grave.

The human’s ears buzzed painfully, so many colors yet they all blended red and black with gore. A rainbow suffocated by so many rain clouds, swallowed and tainted with ice and sleet. When did everything get so bleak?

There was a hand on his shoulder, warm and comforting as it squeezed his tense muscles. “Hey...” Junmyeon’s voice was always so angelic, a silvery timbre that seemed to wrap Baekhyun in a familiar blanket. “It’s all gonna be alright, we’ll just go over some basic procedure and try to prepare you the best we can.”

The human could feel the small smile being sent his way, but his gaze was glued to the worn wood of the bar top. It was smooth, almost soft with continued use. He wondered what it’d feel like covered in ebony stalagmites, would it be cold to the touch? Would it burn his hand? Or rather crawl up his flesh until he suffocated from its slithering black embrace?

Baekhyun didn’t feel like he was underwater, his muscles didn’t feel that kind of weight. It was as if he was lost in a dark tunnel, every faint sound bouncing off the curved surface in echoes. Sound seeming to originate from the walls, seeping in through the shadows and gurgling nonsensically until it became nothing but low noise.

Everything came in waves with no clear way out, no beams of light leading him to the exit. The ground sloped up and down, humidity coating his skin like a winter coat, mind disoriented with no way to know whether his eyes were opened or closed. No matter how much Junmyeon tried to help him get out of the endless tunnel, Baekhyun always ended up right back in the pool of voices and whispers. Every day they seemed more cogent, more vehement and insidious with their guttural demands. Baekhyun feared the day they could truly speak, feared that they would say what he knew to be true.

The fey shook him, sighing when Baekhyun didn’t break out of his stupor. He leaned over and whispered under the bustle of the bar, “I’m going to the bathroom, but I’ll be back soon. If you need anything, the police escort is outside.”

No response.

With great effort, Junmyeon separated himself from the human, the weight of his never-ending presence pushing the back of his brain the further he walked away. It killed him to be away from his human, but he knew when Baekhyun needed time. He’d only be gone for a few minutes anyway...what’s the worst that could happen?

————————————

When Baekhyun came to, his eyes ached, and his temples began to tremor. He winced when he rubbed his ears, going to drink his warm beer when a body sidled beside his own. Seemed Junmyeon came back from his bathroom break, and Baekhyun was still alive and breathing. The human would only use this as further evidence against the fey to let him live without a bodyguard two feet away from him at all times, no need to have anyone hover by him like a damn fly.

“Glad to see you survived not being by my side for two seconds.” Baekhyun drawled, lapping at his tipped beer in kittenish licks. For some reason he saw the same appeal as cats when they drank water, it was oddly entertaining. Junmyeon said nothing beside him, which was strange since he would have already scolded Baekhyun by now for playing with his beer.

The human set his glass down on the bar top, only now aware of the sudden silence of the bar. There was no hearty laughter, muffled curses, shuffling feet, or clinking glasses. In fact, it sounded like absolutely nothing. The figure beside him sipped his bottom-heavy glass, the dull thud of the glass hitting the aged wood resounding long after the action was performed. Baekhyun was suddenly terrified to turn to his left, horribly envious of the previous tunnel his lost himself in.

Baekhyun willed himself still, pushing his beer out of reach so he wouldn’t be tempted to fiddle, weaving his sweaty hands together until they were gridlocked. His neck was starting to flush when he felt the strangers undivided attention shift to him, the side of his head burning like hot coals were being pressed against his skull. The human could only see an all-black suit in his peripheral, no tie. The stranger was leaning back, empty whisky glass hanging precariously in their limp grasp.

“Oh? You were so eager to talk before. Is something the matter?” Baekhyun didn’t mean to flinch, but the man’s voice was so much deeper and more abrupt than he anticipated. It invaded the empty room and expanded until it demanded all attention. It was like foam, but so much heavier it was more appropriate to compare it to steel. It was a full voice, Baekhyun could already tell the man didn’t have trouble projecting.

Baekhyun said nothing, briefly closing his eyes to wonder to the Gods why this shit always had to happen to him. Was this some sort of intimidation tactic? Because he wasn’t going to lie, it was kind of working...

“I know you speak,” the barstool squealed as the man turned to face the human with his full body. “So, tell me, what’s your name pretty little flower.”

_ Flower? _ Baekhyun wanted to be offended but felt more embarrassed as his body grew ruddy. Dumping that beer over his head seemed more appealing by the second as he grew hotter in this suffocating space, the man’s presence just too overwhelming in the quiet.

_ I must be dreaming _ .

Baekhyun looked to the right, inconspicuously scratching the irritated side of his head that had been burning under the stranger’s gaze. He quickly stopped however, when he saw a couple supposedly on a lunch date sat closely with their knees knocking each other’s, the female doubled over in laughter and the man mid-drink. But...they seemed frozen, suspended in time.

Baekhyun could see the same kind of fate instilled in the rest of the bar he could glaze over, every patron frozen mid action as if time had stopped for them. The human closed his eyes and wondered if his tears would freeze too, if they were to fall.

“May I ask who the  _ fuck _ you are.”

The man chuckled, deep as brushed crimson velvet. It was soft but cold, as calculating as every deliberate twist of his wrist. The spherical ice clinked as it swirled in his empty cup, round and around it went in its hypnotizing trance.

“You may.” The stranger cheekily drawled, an excited smile worming its way onto his previously smug face. The air electrified with his childish excitement, sizzling the delicate hairs on Baekhyun’s arms and raising his hackles at the foreign energy. A feeling if wrongness swept over the human, a visceral instinct buried deep within a non-magical being that told him to run. To run as fast and as far away as possible.

It was the same feeling he had that night.

“Who the fuck are you?” Baekhyun asked, but lost the bite the longer the energy sizzled. His mind was growing numb, his nerves fizzling. Baekhyun’s body was going haywire, he wasn’t supposed to be exposed to magic...nothing felt right anymore. It was all  _ wrong _ .

The man giggled-  _ giggled _ as he continued to stare at the sickly looking human. He cocked his head like a curious puppy, leaning into the pretty flowers space as it began to wilt. Vibrant shades of blue colored his vision, a flash of shine catching the light and pearly teeth sharp to the canines.

Baekhyun was practically forced to look over to what he already knew was true, staring into eyes much too deep and blue to be anything but oceans of their own. They penetrated and sliced through any barrier that could have protected the human, if he thought he was bare looking at those candid eyes, nothing compared to the vulnerability of the real thing.

“Park Chanyeol at your service.”

Baekhyun heard an audible  _ whoosh _ as the name served as a punch to the gut, his whole-body sagging in defeat and face twisting in devastation. The odd urge to cry overcame the human as he forced himself to break the addicting yet unsettling eye contact he had with the witch, his chest squeezing painfully as flashes of glowing blades stabbed his mind. Every horrible thought that could possibly spawn in his head did, Baekhyun was sure this was the end...and an anticlimactic one at that.

“Don’t look so defeated love.” A cold hand brushed fallen fringe from his eyes behind his ear, the latter convulsing slightly as the foreign energy shocked his inadequate and unprepared body. “It’s not a good look on my pretty little flower.”

Chanyeol cupped the side of his jaw, guiding the human back into his direction, those wondering eyes roaming anywhere but to where they were supposed to be. The witch had never seen such a beautiful yet strange human in his entire existence, not someone of this man’s caliber. The human reminded him of a powerful firecracker doused in cold water, practically useless and dull with nugatory. The man was colored in greys and blacks, a flower plucked from its bush and thrown into the shadows.

“Now I asked you a question.”

“You’re one of the coven leaders on trial.” Baekhyun whispered, horrible realization a bucket of ice water dumped on his suddenly cold body. Nausea ebbed in his throat, stomach curling with agony that cut through the tissue until it was nothing but bleeding strips of flesh. Every joint was starting to ache, movement increasingly difficult. What was this witch doing to him?

The coven leader just leaned back; his whisky glass suddenly full again. The ice sphere retained its shape, as fresh as the moment it was popped out its chilled mold. Baekhyun swayed in time with the swishes of the amber liquid, letting his head droop so his chin met his chest. The human whined in pain as soon as the witch touched his skin again, even the faintest touch sent waves of nausea coursing through his veins.

Chanyeol cradled his limp head, everywhere his hands made contact hurt, as if they were exuding slow acting poison. An act that usually brought comfort did the exact opposite, and Baekhyun didn’t know if he would vomit or pass out first. The latter seeming increasingly more tempting.

It didn’t help that the witch had large hands, encompassing more area to sting, itch, and ache. Chanyeol was just smiling, not predatory nor soft...but knowing.

“That, my love, is the only thing I’m guilty of.” Baekhyun felt like a small fish staring into the wide maw of a great shark, entranced by the way the light caught the dangerous glint of its jagged teeth. The human felt so tired, haggard from this onslaught of poison. No matter how much he tried to close his eyes, the witch would shake him ever so slightly until he prayed them back open again.

For some reason Park Chanyeol liked to see his prey slowly suffering at his feet, his skin not unlike the pads of a charged defibrillator. It was only when Baekhyun started to drift away again that the witch broke his scrutinizing gazing.

“It’s rude to doze off when I have a deal to propose.”

Baekhyun grunted in protest, was it this witches plan to delude him with magic until he was putty in his hands? There was no amount of magic that could possibly muddle Baekhyun’s subliminal need to live. The human could feel himself frown, dragging his head out of Chanyeol’s hands even if every move was lethargic and his body was filled with lead.

It took every ounce of his stubborn will to keep his head from lolling, eyes unfocused where he blearily stared ahead. Chanyeol didn’t seem to mind though, seemingly finding Baekhyun’s struggle  _ immensely _ amusing.

“You have something I want, and you need something I have.” Chanyeol gifted him a lopsided smile, tilting his head to invade the human’s vision with his shifted blue strands. He looked at Baekhyun expectantly, who only scoffed as he avoided eye contact again...there had to be some sort of magic that came from it if it kept making Baekhyun queasy.

“I don’t want shit from you.”

“Oh, you may not  _ want _ it, but you  _ need _ it.”

Baekhyun glared, snapping back through the haze of pain. “I  _ need _ you to leave me the fuck alone, this is witness tampering.”

Chanyeol chuckled, shaking his head and speaking to the human as if he were explaining a simple concept to an inept child. “The trial hasn’t started yet, and you aren’t testifying against  _ me _ . I’m not tampering anything.” The witch simply shrugged, looking too smug for his own damn good.

Baekhyun didn’t know how much more magic he could take, the energy invading his body like a foreign disease. “What do you want.” Baekhyun gritted out, a wave of nausea causing him to snap his mouth closed.

“I’m so glad you asked.” He sounded so pleased with himself, Baekhyun wanted to vomit. “Really, you’re getting more out this deal than me...but I’d like to offer my protection in exchange for your honest and true testimony.”

The brunettes cackle came out strangled through his attempts to swallow down what was so adamant to come up. He was a delirious mix between bewildered and incredulous, laughing at the mere prospect of this fool’s trick. How stupid did witches think humans were? Enough to think Baekhyun was some fatty fish willing to clamp down on a neon hook spouting spikes?

“I have my own protection.” Baekhyun managed to force out, shaking his head to dislodge the last few giggles stuck in his throat. He leaned his head on his arm, smiling like a doofus, breathily laughing at this little joke they’d made. Such little time and yet the witch and him had already created an inside joke.

To Baekhyun’s infinite surprise, Chanyeol actually looked offended at his reaction. His expression of surprise was easily taken over by a scowl as his cobalt eyes hardened into dark sapphires. “I don’t know if you’ve noticed, but your protection isn’t doing much  _ protecting _ .“

Now it was Baekhyun’s turn to scowl, audibly snarling as he had no refute to the statement. The human gave the witch no time to feel smug by his silence, scoffing and turning his nose up and away from the coven leader. “Let me go, if it’s true you want my testimony, killing me now will do you more harm than good.”

“I’m not trying to kill you.” Chanyeol said slowly, seeming confused now. “The last thing I want is you harmed.”

Baekhyun finally turned to stare at the witch, thrown off by the sincerity that bled through those words. All words and quips failed him as he met those blue eyes again, the longer he stared the more convinced he became of one thing. He saw no reflection in the glossy surface of the witch’s eyes, only shifting color and roiling mist. Something was flickering in them, boiling and pulsing- as if the irises were alive and had a mind of their own.

Baekhyun became sure of one thing looking into those cobalt orbs.

If he were to ever witness pure magic, it was in those eyes.

The haze of delirium lifted if only for a moment, clarity shining through the fog and creating a path for him to follow through the endless maze he found himself lost in. The light he followed glowed iridescent, silver and bright, shaped like a slumbering crescent resting atop a circle.  Throughout the shitstorm of the past few weeks, Baekhyun knew one thing for certain. There was not an ounce of hesitance in his words, no falter in his steps.

“I don’t want a single thing from you.” Baekhyun brazenly spoke, watching the subtlest shift in the witch’s eyes. “Now leave, before I don’t testify at all.”

The next thing Baekhyun knew, a flood laughter crashed into his ears. His senses overloaded by the sudden life of the bar pulsing and beating like a living heart right before his eyes. The silence was no more, the energy that had shackled him to nausea and pain had been shattered. The spell broken. The human had to blink a few times to get the ebbing in his temples to stop, white flashing beneath his eyelids.

“I hope you know what you’ve subjected yourself to.” Baekhyun turned to where the witch was seated, only to see an empty whisky glass with its untouched, chilled ice sphere sitting idly in its crystalline prison. “I hope you know what you’re doing, for both our sakes.”

The disembodied voice crackled like a fizzling radio, hot on his ears and fading with the wind. The deep baritone shook Baekhyun more than he’d like to admit, like pounding bass reverberating within his chest. It felt as though Park Chanyeol was standing right next to him, using that imposing height of his to hover over him and whisper into his ear. The human powerless to the ominous voice, eyes stuck on the chilled ice.

Cobalt eyes flickered in the reflection, a ghost of a smile waning as Baekhyun watched on. The international klein blue tendrils fell over his forehead, slivers of pearl peeking through in curved lines. Those dopey eyes and large ears, that midnight black suit that seemed to stretch into the shadows, all of it disappearing as the bartender poured a new batch of whisky into the glass.

Baekhyun watched as the witch was washed away, that is, if he was ever there in the first place.

A warm hand clasped his shoulder, jarring him from his ice-induced stupor. Junmyeon was smiling down at him, worry cracking its edges. The fey poorly concealed his probing eyes as they wandered all over Baekhyun’s ashen face graced with a slight sheen of sweat. He opened his mouth, presumably to ask another repetitive series of questions, when the human suddenly stood up.

The barstool squealed against the uneven floorboards, nearly toppling over if not for Junmyeon’s inhuman reflexes. Baekhyun slammed a series of bills on the countertop, face an expressionless mask as he strode to the exit. “Let’s get out of here, I’m not in the mood to get drunk.”

The human could have sworn he heard a deep chuckle echo throughout the room as he all but burst out of that eerie bar.

————————————

A swarm of black crows cawed throughout the empty fields; a flat sheet of ashen gold trampled underfoot with soot falling like snowflakes in the chilly air. Little puffs of white obscured his vision with every shaky exhale, knee high grass flattened to make the once beautiful meadow desolate and barren.

Baekhyun looked towards the distant strip of trees that ran along the right side of his vision, disappearing into the abyss of early morning fog. The fields seemed to taper out as well, the straw and grass ceasing to exist along the blurry horizon. There was a broken paved road to his left, more potholes than smooth asphalt. Plumes of black smoke unfurled overhead, invading his vision as it glided along the clouds above and suffocated the light from the full faced moon.

Darkness fell upon Baekhyun, besides the glow that flickered his long shadow, which seemed to almost jeer at him with its jagged edges and creeping smile. Ambers ignited with the sudden gust of frozen wind that whipped across the barren landscape, penetrating straight through the human’s thin sleep ware and robe. The crimson hems of his robe flapped furiously in time with the agitated croaks and caws of the unseen crows, their beady little eyes peering through the parting fog.

Whispers came with the wind, hot slices where they tried to latch on with the passing gusts. More smoke poured from behind, but Baekhyun was too scared to see what was lying in wait behind him. The earth beneath his feet was frigid and frozen, prickly pieces of straw sticking through the golden strands of soft grass. The voices kept telling him to turn around, vehemently hissing out their lures and bewitchments. Some voices dripped with lowly seduction, caressing his arms with heat as more vexed murmurs seethed in his ears with their claws scraping his skin.

Baekhyun tried to ignore the temptation, at first a tickle in the back of his mind shifting into a full-blown itch that needed to be  _ scratched _ . It was near painful to hold out any longer, his legs conspiring against him as they moved against his will. As slow as a broken carousel, Baekhyun tilted, watching as the line of tress shifted to his left and the road abruptly broke off into the fog.

He could feel his pupils dilate as the sight before him burned his very retinas, a sudden wave of heat engulfing him as a raging inferno swirled into the night sky. The flames formed a harsh gradient as they bled into the black of the smoke, twirling like twisted fabric into the air. A lone farmhouse burned in its own trampled fields, charred wood and broken tin shingles caved into the swirling light.

The house couldn’t even be given such a formality anymore, soon to be reduced to nothing but ashes as the fire defied all laws of physics and only grew stronger with the more house it reduced. Cinders littered the ground and turned the golden earth black, the chill of the winter air warming into hot discomfort.

But what stopped his heart in its tracks was not the ominous fog creeping towards him, nor the inferno that devoured the small country house in front of his eyes. Not even the heat exuding from blaze could come close to the way his heart jumped into his throat at the image of the lonely scarecrow that stood staked a few feet from where the porch once stood. The fire crept near but never consumed the stuffed straw man, it’s face obscured by a faded denim bucket hat.

Its arms drooped from where they were nailed into its wooden post, joints soft and straw spilling out of the bottom of its overalls where feet were supposed to be. The conflagration behind it shrouded the finer and faded details in shadows, but a particularly power gust of wind tipped the slipping hat off of the idle scarecrow, the sound of the flimsy fabric hitting the ground echoing loudly in Baekhyun’s buzzing ears.

Baekhyun didn’t register his knees slamming into the frigid earth, straw piercing through his thin clothes. The air  _ whooshed _ out of him as his eyes watered against the sheer force of the brightness that flared before him, the fire roaring and the whispers screeching back with a vengeance.

Branded into the center of the scarecrow’s burlap skin was a glowing blue sigil, a smiling crescent atop a perfect circle. The symbol was like a shimmer of blue flame amongst angry reds, oranges, and spasming gold. Baekhyun felt absolutely devastated, the hidden crows cawing their laughter like hacking up a fur ball. Whispers blended in with the growing fire, the opaque fog tickling his skin and slowing consuming his heated body.

The last thing he saw before his world was consumed in smoke and mist, was the crooked smile of the scarecrow as the sigil burned brighter than the blaze behind it.

  
  


```````````````````````````````````````````````````````````

“You ready?”

“It’s only a preliminary trial.” Baekhyun answered decisively, shrugging and feeling hot in his slightly baggy suit.

“You should like your trying to convince yourself.”

Baekhyun glared, only for it to be met with a cooling smile from Junmyeon who (to Baekhyun’s dismay) looked court ready. The fey said that he’d need better clothes come time of the trial, apparently a resale funeral suit from three years ago wasn’t on par with court expectations.

The finely spun fibers of the occult’s suit jacket gleamed, eye catching as it trapped light that glared from the many fixtures hanging about. His silver cuffs were smug free and polished, deep navy fabric wrapped snuggly in all the right places, with a silk white tie to pull it all together. It didn’t help that Junmyeon was handsome enough in his own, but the suit only seemed to accentuate his natural beauty. Baekhyun never felt more like Cinderella in his life, staring enviously at what was supposed to be his hideous stepsister.

“Don’t test me.” Baekhyun muttered, wrapping his arms around his torso. He kept his head on a swivel, taking in his surroundings and letting his paranoia guide his vision to the darkest corners of the marbled corridor. The walls were lined in repainted panels of wood, the trim reaching near Baekhyun’s shoulders until overtaken by painted concrete in the color of earl grey. Dental trim lined the expanses of the eggshell crown moulding, the ceiling tiles metal, the idle light fixtures repurposed chandeliers.

“Quite fancy isn’t it?” Junmyeon smiled almost proudly at the grandeur courthouse, eyes sparkling like the glinting chandeliers above. “I’m sure they tasked a nymph with the job, those creatures are drawn to beauty.”

Baekhyun nodded his head, cringing at the way every noise seemed to echo endlessly down the hallway. The ceilings were high, carrying even the slightest whispers with booming cadence. Currently nobody besides the duo populated the candid scene, but Baekhyun still didn’t like the idea of being so out in the open. Those coven leaders were supposed to be here, Baekhyun was supposed to  _ face _ those men and the human was hiding his shaking by digging his nails into the pockets of his shitty suit.

How was he going to walk into that court room? Surely, they’d know who Baekhyun was, the human could feel the eyes that permeated the walls- feel the phantom touches that graced his throat when he was about to teeter into fitful sleep. He still had yet to tell anyone about the strange happenings that followed him like his own personal ghosts, not when he himself didn’t know what was dream and what was real.

_ Could witches sense heartbeats? _ For Baekhyun’s sake he hoped to god not, it was a dead giveaway to who he was. Considering that they didn’t know about witnesses against them, which seemed improbable considering the state those witches left their traitorous members. Baekhyun shuddered at the memory of those pictures of mauled and shredded bodies, nothing indicating the humanoid shape they’d inhibited when they were alive.

Then there was Park Chanyeol, a coven leader who  _ wanted _ him to testify. It didn’t make any grain of sense, the man had said he wasn’t testifying against him, but Baekhyun wasn’t testifying against anyone in particular. How could Chanyeol be so confident that he wasn’t in charge of the coven that had been haunting Baekhyun for over a month now? How did he know Baekhyun wouldn’t be the one to come after him?

It made his head spin, why would someone on trial want you to testify? Then he had the  _ audacity _ to offer his  _ protection _ \- and that was after sickening him with magic! Nothing about that man was trustworthy, how stupid did Chanyeol think Baekhyun was? Did he think that by poisoning his mind and swooning a few words would get the human to willingly sign his own death certificate? Fuck no, the whole reason Baekhyun was doing all this was to save his own skin and his fellow humans from the monstrosities these men do on a daily basis.

Before he could spiral any further, the loud sound of clacking heels echoed down the hallway, pulling him from his stupor. A short woman in stilettos caring a briefcase was making her way towards them. Even with the added height she was still shorter than Baekhyun by several centimeters, her rounded sunglasses glinting dangerous as a sharp smile adorned her otherwise soft face.

Junmyeon tensed beside him, muttering curses before turning fully to the stranger with the most strained smile he could offer. “Kim Yerim, I should’ve expected you’d pounce on this case.”

The woman smiled; her peach colored hair pulled half up with the remaining shoulder length hair cascading gracefully in loose waves. She was effortlessly beautiful, ears pulled to a short and subtle point that peaked past her pale hair. Her canines were much more rounded than they should’ve been, almost a square as if they’d been filed down to match the rest of her teeth. The smile she gave was already unsettling, but somehow Baekhyun knew it wasn’t the teeth.

“Junmyeon, pleasure to see you here.” Her tone was dripping saccharine, white painted nails filed and glossy as they reached up and pushed her sunglasses past her hairline. Her eyes were a lime green, far too bright to be human- as if the ears weren’t a giveaway. Faint freckles could be seen hidden under her light foundation, eyes glowing brighter in recognition as she spotted the human hiding futilely behind the fey.

“Oh! What a treasure you are!” She spoke  _ at _ Baekhyun, as if she hadn’t known he had been there the entire time. Her near translucent eyes looked right through him, as if seeing the wall behind him instead of the human in front of it. “You must be that  _ pesky _ little witness everyone’s been making a fuss over, and here I thought you’d be a hideous mole rat.”

Baekhyun shifted uncomfortably, arms crossed to hide his nervous fidgeting and the way his nails scratched in agitation at his worn suit. Yerim reminded him of a ladybug, objectively beautiful and non-threatening. Except this little ladybug had somehow burrowed under his skin, crawling under his flesh as an apparent lump and no amount of tearing at his skin would get her out.

She spoke in a strange manner, seemingly opening her mouth to say more when Junmyeon coughed obscenely loud, effectively cutting her words off. “Yerim, I would  _ greatly _ appreciate it if you would continue on your way to the courtroom. My client and I are waiting on someone.”

Yerim perked up at that, readjusting her lime themed purse at the elbow. “And who may  _ that _ be?”

Baekhyun kept his eyes downcast, scrunching and unscruching his nose as he counted every strain of black in the white marble floors. He could feel the lady’s prodding gaze, like warm sticks pressing into his skin. The human wanted nothing more than to squirm away, but instead had to endure the uncomfortable poking of sticks until Junmyeon lept in to save the day as per usual.

“Yerim.” He growled. “ _ Out _ .“

The petite woman didn’t seem at all effected by the fey’s intimidation, practically beaming as she swerved past her fellow lawyer and brushed past Baekhyun who was in the middle of counting. Baekhyun hissed at the jolt of energy that pricked his skin, like rubbing your hands and touching a metal pole. The static energy caused him to jump enough that he nearly tripped backwards, if not for the awaiting Yerim to catch his floundering arm.

“Oh dear, I’m so sorry about that.” Perhaps her apology would seem more genuine if her words weren’t as bright as her widening smile. Baekhyun felt as though a hot iron in the shape of a small hand was pressing into his bicep, burning past his suit and straight to muscle and bone. A whimper was pressing against his throat when Junmyeon pushed a giggling Yerim away, hissing something that got the lawyer to start heading down the echoing corridor and towards the proper courtroom.

Baekhyun consciously rubbed at his arm, wincing when more electric shocks jolted his muscles. Junmyeon wore a scowl as he watched Yerim saunter away, muttering angrily about pixies before turning back to his human.

“I’m sorry about her, she’s what some may call my biggest rival. But I think of her more as an annoying cousin who won’t stop terrorizing everyone at a family gathering.” That at least got a huff of laughter out of the shaken human, the fey gently rubbing at where the apparent pixie had seeped some of her magic into his arm.

“S’right.” Baekhyun slurred, jitters causing his teeth to chatter. His nerves were already frayed, that woman jolting him with whatever she did only made him want to collapse into a puddle and melt into the ground, never to be seen again. At that moment, another set of much quieter steps sounded down the corridor. The human becoming more confident that his heart couldn’t take anymore inhuman interactions.

“You look like you’ve seen a ghost.” Luhan grinned fondly albeit a little worriedly down at Baekhyun who collapsed against the wall, sagging in defeat. He pressed the heels of his palms into his sockets and sighed a pained thing.

“I’m going to combust.”

Luhan sent a questioning look towards the fey hovering nearby, whose frown only deepened. “Kim Yerim.”

The elf’s mouth formed a silent ‘o’, nodding in understanding and offering a sympathetic smile. “She can be a bit difficult sometimes.”

Baekhyun wheezed, tucking his head between his knees and rocking in what little space there was between him and the wooden panels. He ignored whatever hushed words were being exchanged between the occults, focusing on trying to piece together his composure.

What Baekhyun was doing wasn’t healthy, taking every offending emotion and shoving it into a too-small box. He felt as though he were packing too many clothes into his suitcase, resorting to jamming his knees into the luggage and trying to use his weight to shove the lips of the bag close enough to zip it to closure.

The human had never felt more broken, compartmentalizing anything that those blood hounds in the courtroom could potentially use against him. He expected to feel heavier as he shoved away his emotions into the deepest, darkest corner of his mind...but if anything, he felt empty. Too much had been happening over the past month, and perhaps if Baekhyun approached it disassociated, he would be able to leave this trial behind with some sanity left behind.

Baekhyun took one last breath before giving the luggage that final shove, the ugly sound of a zipper filling his buzzing mind. After much struggle, Baekhyun picked up the hefty baggage and hauled it over the edge of the abyss. He watched as it went spiraling into the nothingness beyond, straining his ears to listen to the eventual thump of it hitting the ground.

It never came.

————————————

As Junmyeon led Baekhyun like the lost sheep he was, Luhan brought up the back of their little line. He had his jacket thrown over his shoulder, whistling a lonesome tune that bounced ominously around the human’s head. His feet made soft scuffing sounds, the soft cotton of a wrapped bandage making itself known as the elf shifted his stiff neck to the side.

Junmyeon stepped up to open the gargantuan, ornately carved doors. They reached nearly to the ceiling, Baekhyun seriously wondering why the supernatural had such a tendency to be so flamboyant and opulent with everything they did. It all seemed unnecessary, it was a courtroom, how pompous did one have to be?

A gust of cool air swept out into the looming hallway, an eruption of goosebumps raising on his skin. The murmur of the courtroom quieted as the trio slipped in, the grand doors creaking ever so slightly as they fell closed. The room was just as large as the rest of the building, minus the exceptional ceiling height. The walk to the front benches felt like a marathon as the human willed himself not to keel over at the wave of magic that rolled from the right side of the room.

The pathway between both sides of the benches was like walking a divide, the pungent ebbing of magic stopping short of the left benches. It seemed that even for a preliminary trial every coven decided to show up, all wearing ceremonial black, the crests of their leader’s sigil embroidered onto their coat sleeves. A variety of colored eyes stared at him, so many gazes boring holes into his skin.

The left side was significantly smaller, consisting of...well...Baekhyun, Junmyeon, and Luhan. It was the first day of high school all over again, Baekhyun sitting alone at an entire table with every other kid having already figured out their seating arrangements during summer vacation.

Baekhyun settled himself next to Junmyeon’s right, shifting to try and find a comfortable position on the barren wood. Luhan sat down soon after, gliding his arm to rest behind the bench seat and pull the human closer. Their bodies were practically aligned, Baekhyun close enough to see even the tiniest speckled that splattered the elf’s cheeks.

The elf leaned down, breath burning the humans already red-hot ears. “They might be witches, but they can’t stare through me.”

Baekhyun grinned despite himself, settling into the comfort of the detectives embrace as Junmyeon was leaning over the wooden railing separating them from the trial floor. He was speaking fervently with a man made of stone, his ears growing outwards to create an almost cone shape. The top of the ear curved ever so slightly upwards, with the rest of the cartilage curving in gentle slopes beneath the bend. His eyes were like ragged boulders, not dull, but sharp and unyielding.

His wide eyes found Baekhyun’s, cropped hair swept up from his forehead to reveal more dark specks within his stone skin. The hand that gripped the railing beside Junmyeon’s own consisted of three thick claws, hefty rock carving the hooked talons. The human turned almost immediately away from the occult’s unwavering stare to gape at the two massive wings sprouting from his back. They were the same monotonous grey as the rest of him, yet the shadows lining the crevices of the wings seemed to flare and slither as the light shifted.

_ Those wings must be too heavy to be of any use,  _ Baekhyun mused. _ They could probably crush a man _ .

The man shifted slowly, the rock swaying with him in a gentle rock. He looked towards Junmyeon, silent words floating through his ancient eyes before focusing back on the ogling human.

“Never seen a gargoyle before?”

Baekhyun flushed, eyes unable to look away from the large wings which probably had the wingspan of over half the courtroom. “Never sentient.”

“Do Kyungsoo.” He stated matter-a-factly, turning back to where the judge was entering the room from his quarters near the high bench. Every unhurried movement the gargoyle took was deliberate, well thought out as he made no move to continue the feeble conversation. Baekhyun wished he could be as unaffected as Kyungsoo, but even with everything boxed away...those eyes never faded.

“Everyone rise.”

The judge stood atop his bench, the single security officer standing off to his right as the judge surveyed the room. His big eyes seemed genuinely disinterested, until they passed over the still gargoyle, to which he did a fast-double take.

His eyes widened, taking in the sprawling form of the stone sentinel, before sighing loudly. The covens tensed, Baekhyun only grew confused.

“Mr. Do, how many times must we have this conversation?” The human looked towards the occult, only to see him standing as still as his stone brethren. Needless to say, he didn’t respond.

The judge audibly tapped his foot, sighing again in exasperation. “I find it very unnerving and distracting for you to be in that...form of yours. I do not discriminate, but your natural state makes you slow and hinders your true capabilities as a prosecutor.”

_ Is this legal? _

The Judge - Choi Minho by his name plate - motioned for the security officer at the side, who in turn scuttled away to the judges quarters. It wasn’t very long until another man emerged alongside him, ears adorned with enough piercings to set off a metal detector and eyes smothered in golden and pink hues. His fringe swept to his eyebrows, honey strands catching the light almost as much as that metallic makeup of his.

His golden rimmed eyes were alight with mirth, a barely suppressed smile pulling his lips tight. Judge Choi seemed indifferent as he gestured in the vague direction of Kyungsoo, “Do your thing Taemin.”

It didn’t take much more than that before the short man was clinging to the gargoyle with a shit eating grin, reaching up to pull at his wings only for the great stone to whack him before he could get very far. Taemin pouted before brightly smiling again, reaching into a little leather pouch at his hip and pulling out his enclosed fist. Baekhyun watched only a few feet away with rapture as the man brought his hand to his lips and blew, a whole barrage of sparkling dust sticking to the nearest breathing thing it could find.

It was the first time Baekhyun saw the stone sentinel crack a frown, each small particle glowing upon touching his skin. As more dust suctioned onto the gargoyle, the human had to avert his gaze as he had gotten too bright. The growing light encompassed the entire room, pulsing and ebbing white. It seemed like hours passed before the light settled, the excited clapping of the fairy responsible echoing throughout the quiet courtroom.

Judge Choi wove a dismissive hand at the hyper fairy, the security guard having to haul him away and back to the judge’s quarters.  _ How odd that man was, didn’t even speak a word _ .

When Baekhyun looked back at Kyungsoo, he was surprised at what met him. The man looked  _ human _ . His skin turned a ruddy complexion, hair blackened and looked soft enough to touch. He had an additional two fingers and his claws had been retracted to filed nails, the only thing that was the same were his hardened eyes. Oh, and the two spiraling horns Baekhyun had failed to notice from before. When did those get there?

“There.” The judge clapped, rubbing his large hands together with a grin that didn’t quite reach his eyes. “Let’s get this started, shall we?”

The preliminary trial went on without much of a hitch, and even with all the talk of the supposed ‘unbiased justice system’, Baekhyun was confident this was going to go to trial even if the prosecution had no evidence beside himself. Kyungsoo was amazing at what he did, Baekhyun’s worries of the other occupants in the room fading away so his full attention was zeroed in on the stony man. There was no jury, but come trial time, there was no doubt in his mind that Kyungsoo would have the people at his feet and hanging on his every word.

Yerim tried, futilely as she did, to disprove what Kyungsoo brought forth. Hammering to bring his witness up, to bring  _ Baekhyun _ to the stand. But in the end, Judge Choi’s ruling remained the same.

The trial date was set for next week, and Baekhyun felt himself flinch at the loud echo of the slamming gavel. Luhan helped him up, arm slung around his waist as he kept himself as the perfect barrier between him and the pungent magic. It was at that moment, a foreign arm settled around him, Junmyeon helping Kyungsoo gather his supplies, the few of them readying to leave, when it happened.

Baekhyun felt his legs give out, dragging the elf down with his dead weight. The older man yelped as he crashed his bad shoulder into the ground, the human seizing helplessly on the floor. His vision blurred with fuzzy black spots invading his vision, the sensation of something crawling in his throat causing him to gurgle through the tightness. He brought his hands to his neck, digging his nails into the delicate flesh to try and rip into his throat and extract the offending creature.

There was soon a swarm of bodies swimming through his vision, all of them trying to pull his taut and crooked fingers away from him. He tried to shake his head, voice his visceral need to rid his body of whatever demon or parasite was making its way through his throat, but all that came out were croaks and gurgles. Baekhyun was panicking, he needed it  _ out _ , by whatever means necessary.

All he could hear was a loud ringing, legs kicking out and back bowing off the marble floor. His vision tunneled; a single blip was all he saw of the vast ceiling above. The thing was growing larger, sucking from his life force to burst through the skin of his neck. Baekhyun tried to scream, he couldn’t breathe.

The torment was killing him, everything numb. He couldn’t feel his tensed and spasming muscles, the ringing dying down to silence. Peace was pulling at the edges of his mind as the world went black.

Until everything came rushing back.

He could hear his screams as every sensory node exploded, wherever skin touched his own felt like a million hot needles were stabbing his dermis. Baekhyun started to go into hysteria as he was surely burning alive, his skin bubbling before sliding of his bones to a puddle of burnt sludge on the floor. Movement came back next, his entire body thrashing to get away from all the peering eyes staring at him through the blinding light of day.

A sudden hand grabbed his arm, pinning it to the ground. Baekhyun screeched like a banshee, blood curdling and ripping at his vocal cords. With his pupils blown and breathing ragged, he used his last burst of energy to kick like his life depended on it.

An unfamiliar face invaded his vision, blurry at the edges and eyes hard as steel. A second hand came up and Baekhyun screamed, sure he was going to strike him, when it came baring down on his jaw and clamped his mouth shut.

Silence rang throughout the stagnate courtroom, dust particles suspended in their air mid-descent. Blood roared in his ears, heart aching with how much it thudded and beat in his chest, his every muscle shaking with a twitch. Baekhyun blinked, hot tears burning their way down his temples. Judge Minho was staring down at him, his dark eyes black with magic.

He let go of Baekhyun, but Baekhyun didn’t get up.

When the judge left the humans vision, the fairy from before was frowning down at him with immeasurable concern. But as soon as he opened his mouth, Judge Choi snapped his fingers. Taemin ducked his head and went scuttling over to where the tall man stood, his expressive face set in a disapproving frown when Taemin reached him. The two walked out without so much as another word, the fairy hiding in others expansive shadow.

Baekhyun continued to stare up at the ceiling, futility trying to ignore all the scrutinizing gazes directed towards him. Junmyeon and Luhan were leaning over him, wearing matching expressions of worry and concern. The human couldn’t move, closing his eyes to even out his breathing without crying out of sheer embarrassment.

The sound of a door slamming jolted his eyes open, Luhan looking behind them and Junmyeon speaking quietly with Kyungsoo out of his line of sight. Luhan turned back and smiled with his kind blue eyes, his own mouth too strained to force a smile. “Can you walk?”

Baekhyun could barely manage to shake his head.

“It’s alright, I got you.”

The elf effortlessly scooped him up, readjusting him in his arms and motioning the other two occults to follow. Baekhyun belatedly scanned the room, flitting over all the witches staring at him and suppressing a shiver. They all wore matching expressions of assessment, some more confused than others who almost looked amused.

Baekhyun closed his eyes, he didn’t see any of their leaders.

————————————

The two were a blur of blue and green, the taller man snatching the smirking bastard and dragging him shamelessly out of the courtroom. In his fury he slammed the door shut, a crack sprouting out from its hinges. The witch all but threw the other against the wall, large hand encompassing his throat and squeezing with barely there constraint.

“Give me one  _ fucking _ reason not to kill you right here, right now.”

The man’s moss green sigil flared as his oxygen was cut off, burning bright in the center and spreading out through their eight channels to infect the circle encapsulating them. The slimy bastard had it in him to smirk- fucking  _ smirk _ as his arms stayed limp by his side. Always so damn smug.

“I don’t think I’ve seen you mad Chanyeol-“

The aforementioned pulled the witch from the wall to slam him back with a loud smack, reveling in the wince he pulled out of the man’s souring smile. Chanyeol got within an inch of the man’s face, noses nearly brushing. His head was pulsing, a silver gleam shining in the reflection of Eunjae’s deep green eyes.

“Don’t fucking deflect, what  _ bullshit _ did you pull in the courtroom?”

Eunjae just smiled, his snake-like eyes curving up as his pointed canines poked his bottom lip. Chanyeol could practically see the replay of that humans suffering in his eyes, a film reel cranking in slow motion. Chanyeol hadn’t seen any telling signs, willing his eyes to stray from where they were drawn to the petite human. Baekhyun had been tucked away from his sight, that elf stinking of gunpowder and the sweet scent of charms.

Chanyeol didn’t trust anyone outside of his circle, the dark-haired elf holding an air of naiveté and gallantry similar of elder elves. But something about his aura was...wrong. The witch could see a tug of foreign color tainting the air around his ears, swirling in opaque tendrils like invasive worms. If Chanyeol could look into his eyes, shift through the hues and many layers- if even for a moment- he was sure he could dig up what was wrong with the strange occult.

Of course, the human didn’t pay him any heed. It was perfect, no need to arouse suspicion among all the noisy witches. It was, after all, in their nature to be invasive. All was going well, the trial date was set, the witches stayed to their side as the  _ others _ stayed to their own. But no sooner did Chanyeol look away from Byun Baekhyun, did he feel it.

The air in the room shifted, like a series of strings on a harp, someone was readying to pluck a string in the perfect harmony of silence. The coven leader barely had time to whip around when the air around the human shriveled and shrunk in on him as if it were crushed plastic. He fell like dead weight, the expression on his friends faces changing in mere milliseconds.

The room didn’t so much as break into chaos as it broke into confusion. The covens collectively turned to stare as they could probably feel the shift, but no one could see what the sigils could. Magic was visible to a certain eye, and Chanyeol watched in growing ire as the human was attacked by a parasite.

Chanyeol was as mad at Eunjae as he was at himself, he should have known that the mortal was carrying a parasite. Should have  _ felt _ or  _ seen _ the thing manifesting in his throat. To anyone else he looked like he was having a serious seizure in the courtroom, but to Chanyeol...

To prevent himself from doing something  _ incredibly _ stupid (yes, more stupid than offering his enemy protection) he grasped Eunjae and dragged him out of the dampening wards. Once in the hallway, safe from the sight of a suffering mortal, only then could he unleash the pent-up emotion at the brashness of his  _ fellow _ coven leader.

“You could have damned us right there; you know what will happen if he  _ dies _ -“

Eunjae placed his icy hands on the latter’s heated wrists, tugging at them in a warming to let go. But Chanyeol was never good at listening.

In fact, he squeezed harder.

“You’re a fucking idiot and a half, you know I thought that was Kyowon’s job.”

The witch snarled, sending a shock of electricity to his hands. Chanyeol let go, but not because of the jolt.

“He won’t die.” His fellow sigil rasped, rubbing at his bruising neck with glowing hands. “The judge is a caladrius, the boy will be fine.”

“Oh, that’s even better. You infected a government  _ judge _ with a parasite. Fucking perfect Eunjae!” Chanyeol had to flex his fingers to prevent himself from seizing the other man with them, choking the stupidity out of him.

But the occult just rolled his eyes, an odd sight for someone who still had blooming handprints around his neck like some fashionable new choker. He tsked, peering up from where he had been kneeling over. “I thought  _ you _ were supposed to be the perceptive one Park, you should know what had attacked that mortal.”

Chanyeol didn’t have the patience for Eunjae’s mind games, feeling the building pressure in his throat as he was about to start yelling at the coven leader. But just then, Judge Choi and his little fairy friend walked out of the courtroom. It must’ve been a damning sight to see two thirds of the defendants in the hallway, one still kneeling over with bruises on his neck and the other turning red with frustration.

Choi barely blinked at the two, but as for his fairy...

Eunjae bared his teeth at the creature, teeth burning black with green flames in his eyes. The fairy quickly scuttled along, golden eyes flickering black as he caught up with the indifferent caladrius. The witch had the sense to chuckle before Chanyeol kicked him non-to-lightly in the shin, setting it with a flaming glare.

“Did that judge look fine to you?”

Chanyeol scowled. “Enough riddles, what’d you do to the human.”

“It wasn’t a parasite.” Eunjae said simply, straightening with an unblemished neck and a cunning smile. “It was...untraceable.”

Chanyeol cocked his head in confusion, opening his mouth to question only for it to hit him in the side of his head like a ton of bricks. “You fucking  _ idiot! _ That’s so much  _ worse! _ ”

Eunjae laughed in his face, cackling and hissing in between. His sigil had stopped glowing, only for his fellow coven leaders to grow brighter. Deep cobalt seeped into the circle, flowing up into the crescent until even Chanyeol’s eyes were darkened with ire. The blood soaring through his veins burned bright, scorching the path they swam. The edges of his vision thrummed; the tips of his fingers numb with building heat.

If Chanyeol were wearing anything but black, his veins would have shone through the fabric. Black spindles inching past his high collared shirt, hooking around the curve of his jaw before they practically cradled his head. The walls and floors fell away, the witch before him blending and swirling into a bright green that tainted to red.

A hand gripped his wrist before he could so much as smite the bastard where he stood, a strong tug dislodging the building energy until mist was crying out of his eyes and hands. There was a glimpse of silver and a strong gust of wind before he was pulled away from the courthouse, the world shifting as the mounting magic started to choke him.

As soon as he landed, a screeching whistle flew through the air and the wall was painted black and blue. He couldn’t control the magic as it shot through his body and splintered his skin, cracking the surface of his face and splitting his eyes until he was looking through a kaleidoscope. Chanyeol screamed in agony as his core shook with a violent power and his ears rung with the force of the explosion that tore through his body.

The witch collapsed soon after, necro ichor bleeding from his body where the faint sensation of hands gripped at his torso and face. Chanyeol coughed out gurgles of ichor before fading away, cursing Eunjae for getting under his skin like the parasite he was.

————————————

“Junmyeon, calm down- there’s no need to panic-“

The sound of breaking glass was what finally pulled Baekhyun from his twilight state, blearily blinking around at his surroundings. Dream catchers strung across the ceiling, woven charms hanging off the walls, and plumes of thick incense floated throughout the small broom closet of a room. The space was smoggy, a thin layer of sweetness coating his skin like a sticky hug.

They were at Yixing’s.

Baekhyun struggled to kick away the layers of woolen blankets and asymmetrical quilts, shucking off the many charms strung around his thin neck. He was hot, weighed down by the press of the suffused air. He was also confused and hungry, going to stand up only to hit his head on the underside of some low baring hooks.

The day wasn’t off to a great start.

As soon as he managed to open the closet door, he was greeted with a shattering glass mere inches from his face. With his lethargic instincts, all Baekhyun could do was turn his head away as a few smaller shards of glass imbedded themselves within his bare neck. Baekhyun winced, flinching at the loud gasp originating from the kitchen.

“Oh my god, Baekhyun, you’re awake-“

“No shit Sherlock-“

Junmyeon pushed Luhan aside, effectively cutting him off in the process. The elf stumbled into the fridge, Yixing offering an apologetic smile when he grasped his bicep to stop a further descent.

“I’m so so so sorry-“

“It’s fine.” Baekhyun croaked, attempting to clear his throat and wincing in further pain. His throat was far too dry.

“No, it’s not. I was angry-“

“At what, we still don’t know.”

Junmyeon growled at Yixing, who offered a charming smile in return. Baekhyun could spot the receding grey to the feys skin, the lingering red in his iris. The human calmly grasped the others arm, rubbing it placatingly and feeling the tenseness leave the muscle.

“It’s really alright, just a few little shards. I’ve been through worse.” Junmyeon’s eyes darkened at that, pupil slitting and pulsating in irritation. Yixing spoke up as Junmyeon pursed his lips white.

“I’m glad you’re feeling better, you have us  _ all _ quite a scare yesterday.”

“Yesterday?” Baekhyun muttered in disbelief. Was he really out for a day?

Yixing nodded his assent, nimble fingers fidgeting at the loose straw poking out of his woven necklace. The giant pendant was a thick disk, the size of hand and the width of a stack of quarters. It was coarse golden grass, each strand meticulously sewn under and over to form the shape of a sun with the faintest indents of eyes and a waning smile.

Baekhyun stared into the faint eyes until the straw blended together and his vision got bleary, standing unflinching as Junmyeon somehow found tweezers and began removing the minuscule glass specks from his neck.

“That was a hell of a seizure you had.” Luhan said slowly, cadence laced with something imperceptible. He was staring at Baekhyun like the answer was written on his face, an answer to whatever strange question he had now but couldn’t yet decipher.

The fey glared hotly at the elf, scowling as he picked at the shards in his skin. “It wasn’t a seizure.”

“Junmyeon, there’s no other explanation for it-“

The older male only snarled a warning, stalking away from the human to go searching for the first aid kit. Yixing shook his head, Luhan sneaking glances from beneath his unkempt fringe. The dark-haired elf gnawed at his nail beds, picking mindlessly. A juxtaposition to his usual coolly composed self.

“Surely Kyungsoo would know, right?”

Luhan hummed around his fingertips, blue eyes hidden as they stared fully downcast. Baekhyun only watched dazed, leaning against the closet door and getting more fatigued by the second. Sagging, Baekhyun slid down the door until he thumped to the ground. He reached up to touch his throat, eyes watering as he could feel the phantom tightness of that parasite constricting his throat from the inside out.

With a sudden burst of energy, Baekhyun pushed himself up, knees wobbling as he reached into the darkened closet and snatched up his stuff with much difficulty. The incense inside poured out, the endlessly burning sticks burning a low ember that casted the small space in grey and red. Baekhyun shoved his shoes on haphazardly, balancing on the folded back lip.

Luhan looked up at the commotion as Yixing offered a brow. “What are you doing?”

“I’m going home.” Baekhyun mumbled, readying himself for a fight. Except, it never came.

He looked back to see the bokor shrugging at the elf, the latter flickering those blue eyes between him and Baekhyun. In the end, he said nothing.

“I suggest you leave before Junmyeon figures out I have no first aid kit.”

Baekhyun huffed a laugh, but the smile didn’t last. Every motion costed him precious energy, his arms not doing as told and whacking into anything in their broad swing. There was sweat dotting his brow by the time he got his suit stuffed back into whatever bag he’d found tucked away in the closet. Somehow, he’d been changed into some of the bokor’s clothes, probably some charm woven cotton he’d insisted would help the healing process.

Baekhyun was about to take off the last of the stubborn strung charms around his neck, when a hand stopped him, ushering him up. “I suggest leaving those on for a bit, now leave.”

Yixing all but shoved him out of his apartment, and when Baekhyun was on the ground floor about to head down the street, the sound of yelling broke loose not too far above. Baekhyun couldn’t run, but he sure as hell fast walked as fast as his gelatin legs could manage.

————————————

When Baekhyun got home, it was to the usual eerie silence one would walk in on after promptly coming home from a long vacation. The place was as vacant as the day he left it, a small stirring of stale dust whisking about as he entered through the new door. But even as he checked every dark corner and opened every door and cabinet, he could shake the feeling that something was  _ off _ about his home.

The human peeked open the fridge, the glaring fluorescent light flickering in his face with the taunt of no food. He closed the door softly, blinking away the harsh shapes burned into his cornea. The rest of the apartment was dark, his curtains swaying softly with the shitty AC and flashed the moon every few gusts. On one particular gust of artificial cool, the kitchen table gleamed off something shiny.

Baekhyun stared at where the glint caught his eye, heart stuttering and freezing his lungs on an inhale. He waited until the curtain shifted, the glimmer stronger now. Baekhyun, bemused, slowly rounded the small divide between his kitchenette and living room, floundering when he accidentally hit a barstool on the way. After correcting the descending chair, the human walked fully up to his kitchen table that had been the only furniture in his apartment when he first got the place, old coffee rings and all.

On the table sat a glossy black box, sleek and smooth to the touch. On the lid was an engraved, iridescent seal in the shape of a pentagram. On each point of the star, a different color shone when shifted in the moonlight- all except the topmost point. One glowed blue, another green, red, and purple. Baekhyun picked up the small parcel, probably the size of a music box and quite light, to bring it close to the curtains.

Baekhyun pushed back the thick black fabric to get a better look at the box, but when the full moon hit the symbol it suddenly grew bright. The pentagram glowed white, its points shining their respective colors when the top point grew black. The human squinted against the sudden onslaught of light in the dark of his home, when he heard a small click.

The lid soundlessly popped open, the pentagram reverting back to its idle shine. Suddenly Baekhyun didn’t feel like holding the thing anymore, scared of what horrors might be held within the ebony walls. He hadn’t even meant to open it; it was truly the last thing he wanted. Yet, here he stood, holding a box full of shadows darker than those in his own home.

Baekhyun slowly placed his fingers on the lid, pushing back down to attempt to click it closed. But after removing his hand, the lid eased back open to its previous position of a small sliver. The longer he stood holding the parcel, the heavier it felt. Suddenly, his arms grew to ache. His body became too tired to continue standing, and the fear that had festered at the sight of such an odd box became clouded by the curiosity of the mysteries held within it.

Any other day Baekhyun wouldn’t have touched the thing, leaving the strange shadowy box to sit at his table all on its lonesome until he got Yixing to extract it. But Baekhyun already felt like play doh, light and slightly fluffy- easy to pull and form, easy to squash. The human could still feel the phantom sensation of  _ something _ making its way around his throat with its million tiny legs, an arm thick centipede.

Baekhyun didn’t have much choice when he opened the box, blinking and finding his hand had disobeyed him in flinging the thing open. With only the soft glow of the moon to guide him, Baekhyun looked within the parcel and felt a pang if disappointment when he saw nothing but a blanket of black velvet. Huffing an annoyed sigh at getting himself so worked up, the brunette haphazardly tossed the box to his couch.

There was a dull thump...then an echo of the first.

Baekhyun turned around to see the box sprawled open, it’s velvety sheet vacant as well as the rest of the interior. But a few feet away laid a fair-sized lump half covered by the small blanket. The human stared blankly at the sight; molasses mind slow to drip into realization. When it did, normal Baekhyun would have went running into his not-so-safe haven and crawled under his covers, but this Baekhyun was lethargic with whatever sap that centipede creature had left.

The brunette creeped over; his curtains slightly drawn but growing closer as the AC stubbornly pushed them together. He stumbled between the sharp edges of his coffee table and the plushness of his torn couch, ironically tripping over the recumbent parcel. He fell to his numb knees and reached for the velvet cover, tentative with his shaking limbs. He grasped the soft fabric and took a moment to blindly stroke it, mind flickering like a dying flame as trepidation finally dawned on his cotton mind.

Baekhyun drew his hand away, but that didn’t stop the cover from mysteriously slipping off its hidden package.

Baekhyun thought he was screaming, but odd forces were playing with him that night.

A dead crow laid crippled on his carpet; its stiff feet curled in awkward positions as if retracting from a nearby flame. Its eyes were glazed over with a film of red, like a pterygium of blood. Its shiny black feathers were frayed and splattered with something darker than black, a spot of color peaking past its hardened wing near its left foot.

Baekhyun tried to back away, but no matter how much he tried to crawl the bird only got closer. The stench of death and carrion pricked his nose, sentient curls of putridity invading his nose and squeezing his brain until he was nauseous. The human was backed against a wall, squeezing his eyes shut against a wave of sickness. But upon opening them again, the dead crow was in his lap.

The brunette tried to scream, grab the crow and chuck it away, only when his hand touched the bird it wouldn’t  _ unstick _ . The feathers grasped his sweaty flesh and wouldn’t let go, Baekhyun slamming his own hand into the wall to quell the growing panic. Only after blood started to sprout from lacerations in his own hand did he stop, breathing heavily to drown out the hummingbird speed of his heart.

The curtains were almost completely drawn, but even in the dark Baekhyun could see the spots of color that had fallen from the crow when he had been repeatedly slamming it. Baekhyun reached into his lap to pick up the small balls, the texture of cacophony of salt crystals, cotton, and what felt like sticky silk.

Shakily, he looked at his entrapped hand. Baekhyun pulled up the stiff wing, hearing a sickening snap when he broke through the resistance. Carrion was the strongest then, a waft of death slapping Baekhyun in the face. A long line of unsutured flesh ran along the underside of its wing, the wavered edges burned to a crisp. The human felt like he was going to vomit as he reached to pull back the flaps of skin, revealing no blood nor entrails, but hundreds of those oddly colored cotton balls spun together with sticky silk. Salt poured from the crow, the wet clumps of runoff color piling in his lap.

The crow dropped from his hand with a wet thump, Baekhyun struggling to stand on his unsteady legs and only able to make it to the sink before he was vomiting up bile and dry heaving through the burn in his esophagus. Tears broke free and joined the mess in the sink, his vision a blur of color and shadow. He blindly reached for the faucet, turning the knobs and watching his upturned stomach swirl down the drain.

Baekhyun collapsed to the ground, weakened and sick to his stomach. He backed into a corner and shivered at the sudden chills racking down his sensitive spine, pulling up his knees and pressing them into the pain radiating throughout his chest. He was cold but everything burned, pressure was building in his temples and behind his brow. The hand that held the crow felt prickled with needles, soon after falling asleep.

Whispers gathered at the nape of the human’s neck, scalding as they whispered nothings from a tongue that hurt his ears, like jagged pins stabbing into his eardrums like a grotesque pincushion. Something warm slithered up his tense arms, wrapping around the muscle and squeezing as tight as a tourniquet. Baekhyun whimpered, hissing as something sharp ghosted over the thin skin of his ribs.

But when Baekhyun tried to open his eyes, they wouldn’t heed to his command. His whole body seemed to shut down, his eyelids too heavy to even peep open. That is, until the pricks of hundreds of little legs poked his skin. They moved like clacking nails, one right after the other in such fluid movement that the human couldn’t tell where the creature started and where it ended. His dampened adrenaline fluttered enough for his eye to slide open, one eye blearier than the other.

A grotesque, humanoid shadow stood hunched before him, too tall for his cramped kitchen. It had no face besides a slackened jaw whose acrid bones crooked out of its black skin. The mandible hung loosely from its head, clearly broken yet still struggled to have enough room for the rows of jagged teeth that, at their smallest, were the size of his forearm. Skin stretched like sutures from the top to the bottom of the broken bone, twirling and extending across its teeth like a gnarled spiderweb.

It’s hot, putrid breath fanned over the humans petrified face. Baekhyun was shaking in fear, a frightened whine stuck in his throat as the monsters tapered legs dragged across the tiled ground, their sharpened points leaving deep grooves where it stalked. One arm was significantly shorter than the other, three frayed points sprouting from the short stump as if someone had shoved the strange digits in there and called them fingers. The other arm was long and slender, and just like its legs it tapered off to a perfect point.

The torso was shredded, tendrils of its shadowy flesh suspended in some imaginary wind. It was far too dark beyond the gaping holes in its chest, an endless abyss straining the corneas of the human’s eyes. Baekhyun felt sick all over again, more chilling hot and cold sensations infecting his body.

“Please...” he whispered, the word barely a wisp past his stale lips. The creatures head tilted like a curious dog, mouth swinging as it got closer. “Please...go away...”

The weight was growing too great for his eyes, but fear kept them fighting against gravity. The creatures sniveled, air whispering past whatever holes it had for a nose. Baekhyun could see it blur into the blackness of his home as tears gathered in his eyes, doing nothing more than blind him as he could not blink. Fear had captured him, shaken the human to the core and shackled him to the ground. But not even the weight of his imprisonment could compare to the building pressure in his chest as forces pressed down on his feeble body, compelling him to close his eyes and succumb blindly to the monster in front of him.

The  _ thing _ rasped in strained wisps, balancing on its legs as its pointed arm extended to slowly dig into the wood beside Baekhyun’s head. Panic banged against the metal doors locking it deep within the brunette’s head, screaming to be let out and awaken his body to the horrors released by some dead crow within a strange box. But Baekhyun could only tremble as he feebly shook his head, too weak for words.

Baekhyun felt the tears sliding down his cheek before he saw the shadows hidden behind the thin skin of his eyelids.

_ Please... _


	4. Chapter 4

Junmyeon continued to impatiently knock at the bright expanse of wood before him, loathing the dreary atmosphere in which his poor human decided to dwell in. No matter how much the fey offered his own home, the human would just continuously refuse, growing more insistent each time. So, what if his house attacked any living,  _ breathing _ creature that shuffled into his home, he had charms for that.

“Junmyeon, if you don’t stop  _ fucking _ knocking in about two seconds, I  _ will _ pistol whip you.”

“That’s illegal.” The fey unhelpfully supplied, huffing as he shook out his sore knuckles. He’d been knocking on the door for approximately four minutes and fifty-two seconds-  _ too fucking long _ according to Luhan- and Baekhyun still hadn’t answered. The key that the brunette used to keep beneath his doormat had long since been removed, and Junmyeon’s key no longer worked with the installment of a new door and lock. But that didn’t stop the worried occult, who raised his hand to begin another round of rapping the wood when Luhan put his own over them.

“If it’s been over five minutes of incessant knocking and he  _ still _ hasn’t answered, what makes you think this time will be any different?”

“I can’t just stop trying, the trial is in three days and I’ve pushed off coming to see Baekhyun for a couple days now. We need to get him fitted for suits, and I can’t postpone any longer unless we just decide to get him an ill-fitted suit. Now do you want that Luhan?”

“Do you want my honest opinion?” Luhan stared at the feys slightly heterochromic eyes, face smoothed over to a deadpan as he said, “I could not give less  _ fucks _ about suits right now. There are more important things at play, like I dunno, the biggest court case in the history of court cases since Sentinels v. Seoul.”

Junmyeon ripped his hand away nonetheless, glaring without much heat as worry quickly took over. He glanced back over at the glossy surface of the human’s front door, seeing his own flitting eyes staring back at him.

“I’m allowed to be worried you know...he hasn’t answered any of my calls or texts...”

The elf smiled sadly, reaching over to clasp at his fellow occult’s shoulder. “I understand your worried, your allowed to be...but Baekhyun has been through a lot these past few months, he needs his space just as much as everybody else.”

“But what if he’s in danger? What if he was taking a shower and fell and now he’s bleeding out on the bathroom floor-“

“I somehow  _ highly _ doubt that.”

“The point is, how do we know he’s okay when Baekhyun won’t even answer a  _ single _ text? Like you said he’s been through a lot, and no offense, but police protection doesn’t help me sleep any better at night.”

Luhan seemed to consider this, blue eyes flickering under his swept, shadowy fringe. The long tips of his ears flexed in thought, the flecks in his eyes lost to the turmoil within his iris. Junmyeon broke the intimate eye contact to instead count the faint freckles sprinkled on the elf’s nose bridge, feeling just as lost as Luhan looked.

“We can’t be sure he’s safe...but we can’t say for sure that he’s in any danger either. We’ll leave him be for the next few hours and circle back to check, but until then I have a funny feeling you already have Baekhyun’s measurements.”

Luhan smirked at the flush that spread down the feys neck like dripping paint, embarrassed at being so easily caught out.

“Let’s just go get some coffee, what harm could it do?”

————————————

When the pair of occult’s returned to the human’s residence, full of coffee and playful banter, it didn’t take five minutes of knocking until there was an answer.

Junmyeon barely brushed the grain of the wood when it cracked open, dark eyes peering from the shadows gathered at the door. Junmyeon startled back, hand still awkwardly floating in the air as he stared back at the human’s hesitant gaze. Luhan, as per usual, stood back to watch the events unfold. His eyes were lit a scrutinizing azure, dim but bright.

“Baekhyun? Are you alright?”

Baekhyun snapped his gaze from where he’d been staring through the fey, shaking whatever thoughts away before widening the crack in the doorframe. “Yeah, yeah I’m fine. It’s just...I have a lot on my mind.”

Junmyeon dismissed the cryptic answer, but Luhan felt an odd prick in the air as he walked into the dark apartment. He noted that not only were the curtains draped closed, but the blinds were also shuttered shut. Luhan didn’t remember Baekhyun ever owning any blinds.

The shadows were palpable, thick enough to cut with a knife. The only source of light was the glow of the elf’s eerie eyes, small blue floodlights that cut through the dark. When Junmyeon reached for the light switch, Baekhyun grabbed his wrist in a vise like grip, tugging his hand away and leading him towards his bedroom. Luhan watched from afar as Baekhyun mumbled something about a growing headache and light sensitivity, the fey drinking up whatever excuse in his haze of quelling worry.

The two didn’t even realize they left the elf behind, or rather, that the elf  _ stayed _ behind. Something was inherently  _ off _ in the atmosphere, the air stale and an odd aroma wafted through the air. Luhan couldn’t quite put his finger on what was wrong, like looking at someone’s face and trying to distinguish what made them look so funny. Was it the nose? It always seemed to be the nose, but perhaps the issue stemmed deeper that appearances.

Luhan ambled over to the windows, pushing back the heavy drapes to watch a swirl of dust pick up from the floorboards. The small particles danced around his feet; polished boots tarnished under the grey specks. The elf shifted his weight, listening for a creak in the wood. He pressed his foot around both windows, hearing faint squeaks towards the centers where the dust was most prevalent but none near the base of the pushed curtains.

The elf grabbed a nearby chair and positioned it such that the curtains stayed parted, standing beside the rays of light to look upon the apartment in the midday sun. Taking a shallow breath, he dragged the tip of his shoe across the living room floor. Dust flurried in his wake, sputtering at the attention before settling in a cleaner trench. Luhan stopped outside the carpet beneath the couch and coffee table, squatting down to drag a hand across the coarse fabric.

It came out clean.

The rug was free of dust, yet the rest of his apartment fell victim to dust. Luhan pattered silently to the single broom closet, opening the rusted door to find a single handheld vacuum cleaner. A curled piece of white duct tape was slapped across its handle, squabbled sharpie spelling out “property of Ms. Jung”.

The detective turned and shut the door, surveying the unperturbed kitchen table and the silence of the human’s bedroom. Luhan thought for a moment, changed direction, and made to walk into the kitchen, stopping short of its archway to take an instinctive step back. He scrunched his nose at the sudden stab of stench, the gagging odor gone just as fast as it had appeared.

It took every bit of willpower he had to step into that kitchen, feeling as if he’d walked through a spiderweb that had melted into a film on his skin. Luhan rubbed at his face, neck, and scratched at his exposed hands. Though, nothing came back but irritated and angry red marks spanning the skin of his knuckles.

The elf felt icky, a bad taste tainting his mouth. But alas, he pressed on.

Luhan grabbed the shiny tarnish of the refrigerators handle, yanking on it to get it open. What met him was more than a little depressing, and it was all the same across every cabinet he opened. The whole kitchen was barren, devoid of any and all source of nutrition, and the more the detective rummaged the more he realized just how long it’d been this way.

It was on his trip over to check the long pantry near the archway when he noticed it; an ugly blue bath mat sitting off center and crooked on the floor, as if someone had flung it and decided it would stay where it flopped. Luhan poked it with his toe, it didn’t budge.

The elf dragged his heel across the scruffy fabric, only succeeding in disrupting the fluff. He then crouched down and attempted to grapple the edge of the mat up to pull it off the floor, but yet again, it didn’t budge. Luhan, in a moment of great frustration, snatched a butter knife from the drawer and tried to pry it under the mat. It didn’t get an inch past the hem before snagging and halting.

The elf knew he’d been beat, bested by a shitty 70s bathmat with more than a few questionable splotches. Dropping the knife in the steel sink, Luhan stood with his hands on his hips, staring down the blue mat. What could possibly be hidden under this mat that warranted it to be practically glued to the floor?

This kitchen was telling a story, he just needed to decipher what it was.

The elf already established the vacancy of food, the dust coating the counters and inside the cabinets. Now he stood gliding his hand over the surprisingly smooth surfaces of the cabinet doors, everyone above eye level coming back clean. It wasn’t until he got to the left side of the stove that his fingers fell into a groove.

Luhan felt over the surface a few times, its corner location casting the cabinet in darkness. There was a single diagonal groove, thin but when the elf dragged a nail over it, he could feel the depth behind it. He pulled out his phone, cranking up the flashlight before shining its artificial light upon the door. The natural veins of the wood ran vertically, but some sort of dark filler ran across the six-inch cut in the cabinet. The groove was no thicker than a fingernail, yet ran deeper than any knife in this kitchen could have caused.

Noise disrupted the detective’s thoughts, the elf barely able to snap a quick shot before Baekhyun and Junmyeon walked out of the bedroom. The fey was scribbling down something distractedly in his notepad, while the human was scanning the apartments scape not unlike a soldier would enemy territory. Luhan leaned against the countertop by the stove, fixing his raven fringe as he waited to be noticed.

Once he felt Baekhyun’s dark eyes upon him, he averted his gaze to meet his. He saw visible panic, fear, and a hint of anger before the swirling emotions were flushed out behind a guise of faux curiosity. “What are you doing in the kitchen Luhan?”

His pitch spiked, but otherwise the human appeared unaffected by the elf’s hovering presence in his kitchen. The brunette was becoming worryingly better at masking his emotions, but Luhan wasn’t a detective for shits and giggles.

“I was just seeing what you had in terms of food, seems like this kitchen has been empty for a while.”

Baekhyun bristled, Junmyeon too busy typing away on his phone to notice the growing tension between the two other people in the apartment. The human smiled nonetheless, Luhan watching the hairline fracture strains along his eyes and mouth. “I just finished off my supply of old soups, been meaning to get some more food.”

Luhan nodded slowly, face lighting up in understanding, as if a great realization has been struck upon him. Baekhyun visibly deflated a little, muscles bleeding tension like a poked balloon. The elf pushed himself off the counter, making to walk out of the kitchen before stopping in front of the bathmat.

Just like that the tension was back, Baekhyun being pulled into a dance the elf made sure he didn’t know he was dancing.

“Hey, you know, I remember when we first met it was in your bathroom. I  _ swear _ I saw this  _ exact _ mat in front of your shower, why’d you move it?”

The human stared into those imploring blue eyes with panic buzzing beneath his skin. He was too worried in trying to advert Junmyeon’s curiosity he left the bigger fish to fry in his own living room, and now he was left to beat himself up over leaving a fucking  _ detective _ in his apartment to sniff and poke about without supervision. He was so  _ fucking stupid _ .

“I thought it looked better out here.” He supplied lamely, bemoaning his own stupidity within. He felt like he was slowly dying inside, each word chipping away at his own will to live. Baekhyun might as well have given Luhan that damn parcel, he was going to figure things out sooner or later.

But the elf only nodded, face set in peaceful thought. “I like the splash of color, truly brings out the darker veins in your cabinets.”

Baekhyun was screaming inside, a nervous laugh rattling loose and tumbling past his terse lips. “I thought I needed a little change in here, give me back some choice in my life.”

It was when he shifted his weight that Baekhyun noticed it, too busy listening to his heart drop to watch as Luhan’s scrutinizing eyes bore into his dilating pupils. Something ugly reared inside, an unpleasant taste spilling out from his esophagus to coat his sensitive palate in bile. The bright sunlight from beyond his window was penetrating full force into his home, warm rays blanketing his home in soft, comforting waves.

Baekhyun was going to be sick.

Reeling in whatever hissed to lose control, Baekhyun calmly walked over the windows as tears gathered in his eyes from sheer force of the bright shine. He couldn’t hide the shaking and quivering for long, snatching back the chair that held open his curtains and sending the apartment in that familiar drape of shadows that hide his sickly pallor.

“I thought some natural light could give this place some life.” Luhan said, his melodic voice cutting straight through the cacophony in the humans roaring ears. He now stood with his hip jutting into the wall near the door, long coat gracefully cascading down his lithe body line. The glow of his eyes were back with the darkness ebbing deeper, two bright blue eyes seeping out from the shadows.

“I thought I told you,  _ I have a headache _ .” Baekhyun peered past his greasy fringe with a fire in his eyes, flickering a blue flame with their intensity. Luhan regraded him as a puzzle, the human feeling those invasive and curious eyes jabbing into him without regard to privacy. It was seriously starting to piss him off, any longer and he may snap something hideous and that wouldn’t help a damn soul in this complex.

“I forgot to ask,” Luhan plowed past Baekhyun’s annoyance, that almost arrogant prying coming back in full force. “Why didn’t you answer the door before? You didn’t  _ leave _ did you?”

The flash of Baekhyun’s pearly teeth illuminated his snarl, the muscles in his legs readying to pounce. A few pieces slid into place, the small spark of an epiphany behind the elf’s eyes coiling a hot sense of dread in his stomach. An atavistic instinct that wasn’t his own drove him forward, an arm flinging out and stopping him from stalking over to the nosy elf.

“Is this an interrogation or something?” Junmyeon inquired, far more accusatory than Luhan ever was. His mismatched eyes narrowed, pupil shaking with his distrust.

Luhan watched as Junmyeon pushed Baekhyun behind him, and for the first time, he reflected on just how much of a hopeless roadblock the fey was. No matter if Baekhyun was in true danger or he  _ was _ the danger, Junmyeon would rather go to his grave protecting what he thought was his before admitting the human’s wrongdoings.

The elf wished he could sympathize more, after all, it was a death sentence to be born a fey. It’s not like blind loyalty didn’t run in their lineage, they were known to be servants until the end. Only, they didn’t know that they were.

What was the likelihood of the most important cog of the biggest trial in occultist history being best friends with a Damned Fey, and for that fey to in turn be the biggest pain in the ass of anyone involved. Luhan couldn’t ask a  _ fucking _ question before Junmyeon jumped in like an abused white knight on his  _ fucking _ high horse, the frustration building and calling to the ugliest part of any elf that Luhan had tried so hard to keep under lock and key.

A high pitched snarl broke past the scowl marring Luhan’s beautiful features, twisting the skin of his nose and sharpening the points of his delicate ears.

“You protect him from everything you know.” Luhan hissed, the voice slithering past his lips grating on the humans eardrums. Junmyeon visibly tensed, skin growing grey and eyes burning the brown from his iris to find the crimson hidden behind them. “He’s already as damned as you, cursed past your protection. Stop fucking trying so hard to save what’s already lost.”

A sadistic smile tore across his twisted face, razor sharp teeth pushing his smile uncomfortable wide. Those clear blue eyes turning storming, two hurricanes ready to pave a path of destruction and wreak havoc upon anyone in its way. “You should already know, can’t you smell it? The rotten core to you pretty little apple?”

Baekhyun could see it, see the rotten core in Luhan’s lineage. See the decay that had cursed the elves so long ago, what made his kind succumb to asylums or chain them to brothels where their crazy could be controlled. His whole tree had acid poured at the roots, and no matter how far one strayed from branches, it was only a matter of time before it reached them to poison the mind.

There was only one thing scarier than seeing a crazy person, and that was seeing a sane man succumb to a descent into madness.

“Junmyeon.” Baekhyun whispered, watching as Luhan grew further away from reality. “Get him back,  _ now _ .”

————————————

Seungyeon was stressed beyond human capabilities with this case, she could only imagine what Luhan was going through right now. What, with him being the supervisor and all. In fact, she hadn’t seen him for a couple of days now, which wasn’t unusual but what was usually a sign of concern.

“Kibum.” She inquired, watching the ghoul flit about the murder boards like a weaving ghost. He would disappear behind one for a few moments, only to reappear on the other side with that same inquisitive gaze.

“What is it you want you squandering human.”

Seungyeon sighed, if only because they went over this almost every time they talked. “Kibum, how many times do I have to tell you? I earned my spot on this squad just like everybody else, I may be human but we are of the same rank. Address me as such.”

The ghoul rolled his violet eyes, sharp features making his words all the more cutting. “I’ll address you as you are, an expendable experiment by the higher ups to test my superior senses of sleuth in which you are failing in every aspect.”

_ I wish Luhan were here _ .

“Ghouls are such prideful creatures, no?”

Seungyeon glanced up to see Jaehyun chewing at an apple, each canine tapered to a dangerous point and eyes an odd tint of red. Once one of the sharpened points pierced the flesh of the apple, the color drained from the fruit until it was a lifeless shade of grey. It collapsed into a mush as it made contact with the bottom of the trash bin.

Kibum turned his nose up at the display, scoffing indignantly at the pile of dead matter. “I’m only as prideful as I need to be.”

Before Jaehyun could quip a snarky reply, there was a slight crash behind him. Seungyeon turned to see the small, stout form of the precinct's resident basement dweller. Myung stood next to the overturned trash can that held Jaehyun’s latest victim, the grey mush slugging out of the metal bin. His bald head shined with the sweat of traversing multiple flights of stairs, long Yoda eats slumped with effort.

“Ah, here comes the midget again.” Kibum remarked without so much as turning from the middle whiteboard, sneaking the occasional glance at Park Chanyeol to his right.

“For the last time- I am not a midget! I’m a dwarf, you ignoramus, self-important scoundrel!”

“Yes, but you’re  _ our _ little midget.” Jaehyun placated, reaching down to stroke the dwarfs bald head before Myung snarled and swiped his claws at him.

“Scoundrel? Who even says scoundrel anymore? I think you’re spending too much time with our beloved resident ghoul.” The human picked at her manicured nails, watching from her peripheral as the Jaehyun danced with fire. He continuously reached down to the dwarf, only to fling his hand back and giggle every time he got too close to the basement dwellers' claw tipped hands.

“Don’t let that  _ thing _ anywhere near me.” Kibum snarled, throwing a disgusted look over his shoulder.

“I would rather bite the ankles of those with athlete's foot than to ever spend my recreational time with, as you kids say, an ‘asshole’.”

“Ooh~ he got you there Kibum, you gonna let him talk to you like that?” Jaehyun cheered, his knack for mischief stirring him on.

“I can’t believe I’m saying this, but I want that guileless elf back. At least with him I could get my work done in peace.”

“You? Miss Luhan? Wow, what has the world come to?”

“I’m afraid that’s why I am here.” The trio of detectives turned in unison at that, Jaehyun chewing on his badge with that oral fixation of his and Seungyeon tilting her head in inquisition. Kibum looked unamused as always, and maybe Seungyeon was a little delirious today, but she swore she saw the slightest hint of concern in his eyes.

“Where is he?” Jaehyun asked, showing far more concern in the pinky nail than Kibum could afford to show in his entire body.

“He sent me a pager-“

“You still use pagers?!-“

“Can it you insufferable fleshling.” Jaehyun flinched, but remained silent.

“Due to unforeseeable circumstances, he will not be able to attend the first day of trial as planned-“

“What the fuck!” Seungyeon stood up at the same time Jaehyun exclaimed loudly through his gnawed badge. “What do you mean he can’t attend?!”

“He did not specify what had happened, but he will hopefully attend the rest of the trial days as planned. For now, I must lament, the ghoul is in charge.” Kibum stood up impossibly straighter, expo marker still poised between his thin fingers with only the imperceptible widening of his eyes to show his surprise.

“I am to advise you at the first day of trial, which all you shall attend, and then you will receive orders from Detective Lu when he is well again. Oh, and Seungyeon-“ The dwarf reached into his comically large bag and pulled out an envelope, sealed with the crest of Luhan’s elven lineage. “He wanted me to give this to you.”

The dwarf bowed and returned as quickly as he had appeared, albeit much quieter. Jaehyun was on her in a second, peering over her shoulder with wide red eyes. “Well, what are you waiting for? Open it!”

“This isn’t for you.” The brunette swiped at the vampire with the envelope, smacking him upside the head with the light paper until he was scrambling away in fear of a paper cut. For such a powerful creature, he was deathly afraid of paper cuts.

Instead, Seungyeon tucked the envelope away into her locked desk drawer. She would read it after everyone went home for the day or Jaehyun left early to prepare through the night to treat the trial like a modeling shoot. Kibum looked at her strangely, almost enviously as he eyed the now locked drawer. The human simply put the key around her neck and gave him a simple brow raise.

Kibum turned back to the board, yet the terse line in his shoulders never relaxed, even far into the night.

————————————

“You ready?”

“If the press is anything like it was back at the Scraper...”

The black Rolls Royce Phantom purred its way along congested city streets, cutting through the early morning mist and smog like a letter cutter would paper. It’s hood ornament caught the sun's first rays with its silvery circle-crescent combo.

“I’m assuming everything’s going according to plan?” The witch was staring out of the window, smooth planes of pale skin reflecting back at him as he looked at the flitting city landscape. He looked like a graceful wraith, all lean muscles and strong features, ghostly in his appearance as he was ever-fleeting. His silvery hair didn’t help as well as it was swept haphazardly off his forehead, voice mumbled into the stretched muscle of his knuckles.

“Without a hitch.”

“Then why do I feel like not everything is as perfect as you make it seem.”

The other witch in the shared space grumbled in annoyance at the accusation, mostly because it was true. “You know, sometimes I really hate how attentive you are.”

“It’s my job.” The silvery witch answered, still watching the blur of colors pass by him as he put the steady beating of his heart towards the back of his mind. Sometimes it helped him to hear his heart thumping, reminded him he was still alive and the world was indeed going round. With the single biggest moment of his coven leader's life rising past the last verge of horizon, the eerily slow beat of his heart was the only thing keeping him sane in this world of absurdity.

“If you did your job Sehun, you would stay the fuck out of my business.”

Sehun tsked, shaking his gelled hair as he met eyes with a shushitsu on the street. He watched as the white oversized rat yipped at him when they hit a red light, flashing in his iced eyes just to see it silenced in visceral fear. He felt nothing as the car jolted to a start and the small rat was left pissing on the street.

“I’m not talking about my job as a coven member and your personal advisor, I’m talking about my job as your closet  _ friend _ .” Sehun turned to see Chanyeol looking straight ahead, not all there. He wondered if the coven leader could see past all the terrestrial barriers and was staring at the looming courthouse they were heading to. Sehun has never known the exact extent of the man's power, only his weaknesses, which is all a witch really cares to know.

“I know.” Chanyeol answered absently, his international klein blue hair styled into a perfect comma that flawlessly framed his softer features, almost coddling the side of his visage. His suit was woven with the finest of colossus spider silks, dyed an oily black that shifted just as often as his iridescent sigil.

His face was anything but troubled, as the witch didn’t carry his emotions within the stone of his face, but rather exuded them into the surrounding air. Now, the atmosphere in the car was reading as turbulent, small sparks of electricity popping out of the window switches generator. Sehun picked up on all of these signs, having spent well over a decade with the odd man.

“Then why won’t you tell me what’s wrong?”

The coven leader huffed what one would suppose was a laugh, eyes flicking rapidly across the leather swathed seat in front of him. The driver's twitchy eyes snapped to the mirror to look into the backseat, golden reptilian irises glimmering brightly as he sensed magic flowing through his torso. His wild white hair was swept back, as if he raked his fingers through after being blasted repeatedly by a much too large fan. He met Sehun’s eyes and gave him a smile filled with venomous fangs, the toothy grin spreading past any humane limits.

Sehun gave his friend a worried once over, face falling in concern. If he would pay better attention to his heartbeat he’d hear it starting to pick up like stirring horses before a grand storm, lightning buzzing in the air ready to strike.

“Because...I don’t know what’s wrong...”

The Phantom started to slow, their reptilian friend hissing aggressively at the scent wafting over from the crowd gathered on the steps of the Occultist Courthouse, forked tongue flickering over his lips as venom pooled in his mouth.

“Yuta, here should be fine.”

The reptilian hated people, more specifically  _ humans _ . They had not been kind to his people and he was forced to adapt to their ways, sneaking away to darkened corners just to snatch rats in peace. Even his own scales had fallen away, hidden beneath his clothes where the public couldn’t eye them with disgust. But  _ these _ humans...Yuta didn’t like it one bit that he had to let their putrid stench anywhere  _ near _ his diplomatic master.

Before he could openly complain, like he usually would, Sehun pulled out a still squirming rat and held it by its tail within biting distance of Yuta. The reptilian couldn’t be bothered to remember why he was feeling so rustled as he sunk his fangs into the unsuspecting rat, reveling in its dying squeaks.

Without further preamble, Sehun turned to watch his friend's leg bouncing restlessly, he was still staring ahead.

“We need to go.”

Chanyeol’s leg stopped bouncing, his whole frame stilling. The sigil branded into his head glowed bright, settling just as fast as it had come. Sehun took that as his signal, taking one last inhale before opening the gates of Hell.

————————————

Sehun wouldn’t say they were in the clear yet, the muffled shouting of the press permeating through the door even after the goblins shut the courthouses grand entrance. The pair of witches simply strutted down the maze of tall corridors in silence, the silver haired man sneaking the occasional glance over to his leader. He couldn’t even read the air around him, a power move when they would eventually enter the courtroom.

Still, he was nervous. Though he’d never admit the weakness, Sehun was nervous as hell. If he were any smarter, he’d be dead scared.

Chanyeol was a moving statue, marble carved features with a body made of bronze. He was experimenting with his aura, pushing certain points to see what exuded the most fear-inducing reaction when they heard loud talking coming from the end of the next corridor. The air wobbled before stilling completely, the expressionless man turning the corner as even his soles moved without a sound.

The duo watched as the human witness looked more uncomfortable by the second as his posse were interrogating a bland looking human with golden skin and flicking eyes. None of them heard their approach.

“-what do you mean he  _ isn’t coming _ .”

“I said what I said, some unforeseen events unfolded and agent Lu can’t attend the first day of trial. He sends his sincerest apologies.”

The human- Baekbeom was it? - looked incredibly guilty, eyes finding the floor as some other human found a way to slither his arm around the terrible looking witness, his attempts to cheer him up pitiful at their best. Chanyeol got lost in penetrating his gaze into the side of the small man's head, nose scrunching slightly at whatever he saw.

“But the first day of trial is  _ crucial _ , he can’t just skip out- I haven’t even properly met the man in person!”

“What a noisy sprite.” Sehun commented, failing to leave the disgust out of his words.

“He gets it from the human.”

Chanyeol jerked his head to the stoic looking human wrapped around- it’s Baek something- who’s friendly features were set right in a frown, Sehun felt the fleeting yet strong urge to crush the man's spine, but he didn’t know why.

As they grew closer, the female human turned to the witness. She spoke directly to him now, voice low but still very audible.

“It’s not your fault you know.” The human's eyes flickered sideways, freezing as they met the icy silver of Sehun’s own. “It happens to the best of elves.”

Not to sound sadistic, but Sehun quite enjoyed the fear that plainly struck the human as he remained paralyzed where he stood. Even a little smug as it wasn’t Chanyeol who caught his attention, but his second in command who was much crueler than his coven leader ever could be.

Noticing his stiffness and evident fear, the human's posse turned and had a fun variety of facial expressions ranging from shock- to anger- to disgust- to finally, fear. But Sehun only had eyes for the petite human, his frame quivering from just simply standing upright. The silver witch wanted to scoff, surely this man wasn’t  _ that _ hung up over this trial to drive himself to sleepless nights and unhealthy fasting.

The group was silent as they passed, the duo in ceremonial black with Sehun wearing the branded garter of his coven upon his sleeve, a smaller, less noticeable stitching of his leader's sigil on his collar to represent his status in their large hierarchy. It seemed almost in slow motion as Chanyeol and Sehun made a large arch around the group to get into the courtroom, the human witness only once breaking eye contact to look at the cobalt blue stitching upon the witch’s collar.

They disappeared into the courtroom shortly after, but not without a wicked, feral smile from yours truly to the human himself. Sehun thought of it as a housewarming gift to the shit show that was about to take over the entirety of the supernatural world.

Sehun turned around to listen when the quiet murmurs of the court silenced momentarily as the last of the Covens Three arrived, in his flaming blue glory. The witch leaned in close to whisper to his leader, waiting until the normal bustle of the room reignited to start conversing quietly.

“You remember that elven man from the pretrial? The one who was practically draped across that human?”

The witch bristled slightly, hard eyes scanning the expanse of the courtroom. Sehun knew he wasn’t paying any heed to the conversation that played out as they approached, too busy looking at something only he could see. Even now it nagged at him, the slightest of twitches being found in his pointer finger as he hid the tell in his pockets.

“Yes. The one with the strange magic?”

“That’s the one! You’ll never  _ believe _ -“

“Cut to the chase.” Sehun had the audacity to giggle at his leader's agitation, not at all hurt over being so brutally cut off.

“He lost control.”

Chanyeol openly reeled, eyes widening as he stared at his partner in disbelief. Sehun was grinning excitedly, having put the pieces together when they walked through the door. That elf was an agent, a very special one at that if that golden human's dangling badge was any obvious inkling. Sehun knew that must have been the strange aura around him the last time he was around, that tainted blood rising to the surface, only to soon take over the elf’s poisoned mind.

“Wow...I didn’t know this case was getting to so many people.”

Sehun shrugged. “It happens to the best of elves.”

————————————

Baekhyun was about to collapse on the spot, curl into a ball and cry himself into the ether. Junmyeon was oddly quiet as he stared at the door even after it was closed, the powerful presence of the two witches still suffocating the hallway. Seungyeon looked a mix between angry and disgusted as she had tried to glare a hole onto the side of Park Chanyeol’s head, who was in turn staring very intently into the side of Baekhyun’s.

Baekhyun felt his heart plummet when he met eyes with that silver eyed witch, his eyes having lightened when they met until only his beady black pupil was visible against the sea of silver and white. The human couldn’t read them, there was nothing  _ to _ read, only bright vibrating irises and a trembling pupil.

The man was walking next to one of the Covens Three, that alone made him terrifying. But the pure wickedness in his smile when he had passed, it was the complete opposite of Eunjae the night of the incident. Silent and controlled versus wild and wicked. If the former was a snake, that silver witch was a wolf.

“The trial will start soon.” Baekhyun didn’t look at Seungyeon as she spoke, even if her eyes were boring into him. “You better get going.”

Junmyeon said nothing as he grabbed the human and dragged him to the doors, Jongdae and Minseok close behind. But as soon as they walked in, Baekhyun felt the horribly familiar sensation of eyes on him. He felt like such a spectacle, everyone staring anytime he’d walked into a room or stood in a hall. You would think he had something flashing on his forehead, but instead, it was the mystery around just how much he knew.

All the witches from the three covens were staring, but it wasn’t  _ hostile _ . That was one thing about witches, they didn’t jump to conclusions. They usually had all the answers at their fingertips, there was no need to jump the gun when you already knew what needed to be done. Perhaps that’s what threw them for a loop, they couldn’t figure out what a human could possibly do or say that could hurt creatures like them. Baekhyun wondered the last time any of them had even seen a human, witch sightings were rare outside the Witchin District.

Of course, they probably saw plenty magix abusers, humans who got hooked on magic instead of rejecting the foreign forces, creating a horrible by-substance that deteriorated their body. Magix. But have they seen a  _ true _ human? Especially one that held all the cards? It was unnerving, seeing their colorful eyes watch him with matching shades of uncertainty. Should they hate him? Dismiss him?  _ Fear _ him? Witches have never feared humans...why should that change now?

“Baekhyun.” Junmyeon was whispering, head jerking towards the right side of the room. “You’re staring.”

The human scoffed, the muscles in his mouth twitching and widening into a perturbed smile. What a ridiculous notion,  _ him...staring _ . Did he not see all the eyes directed at him? The fey must be crazy, even  _ blind _ to say something so absurd. The latter, looking concerned, gently guided the witness to his bench at the front of the courtroom, right behind the prosecution's desk. Baekhyun toed the guardrail as they passed, how flimsy it was.

Jongdae sat next to him with Junmyeon to his right, Minseok and Seungyeon sitting on the outside of the group. The agent was looking towards the door of the courtroom, sunglasses blocking her worried eyes. Kyungsoo was in his humanoid form, the tips of his ears cascading to stone with the same gradient on his sharpened canines. His eyes betrayed nothing as he looked down at the files on his desk.

Baekhyun belatedly realized there was a nervous looking boy that sat to the left of Kyungsoo, eyes wide as he openly stared at the Covens Three, all of which were finding their seats on the other side of the room. Kyowon, the red sigil, was gruffer in person- stout with an ugly mug. Eunjae, with all his dark poise, sat next to the red angler, eyes gazing unwaveringly ahead. He wore a smug smile, green eyes darker than what the photograph in the precinct illustrated.

Park Chanyeol was sitting at the end of the table, furthest from their collective lawyer as coincidentally the silver witch was nearer to that side. Baekhyun had seen an odd embroidery on the latter’s collar, a cobalt stitching of the blue witch’s sigil. He had wondered if it meant anything and had his suspicions confirmed when he looked at the rest of the coven to see only two others with the symbol. Upon closer inspection, one of the two had the stitching silver instead of cobalt, Baekhyun lost in thought not knowing what to do with the information.

At the sounds of awkward greetings behind him, Baekhyun turned around to find the thin boy shaking hands with Junmyeon, looking equal parts scared and awed. “And this is Byun Baekhyun, our only witness as I’m sure you know from our briefing.”

The squirrelly boy nodded, avoiding Kyungsoo’s piercing gaze to instead look upon Baekhyun’s, smile a wince as he held out his sweaty palm.

“I’m Mark.” His voice cracked.

“Baekhyun.” He mimicked his voice crack, smiling as the boy- Mark- laughed earnestly. His eyes lit up as if he remembered something, his whole face shifted. He began to subtly bounce on the balls of his feet as he sifted forward to shake Baekhyun’s hand. “You’re human! I’m human too!”

“We can be human buddies.” Baekhyun jeered, half joking before Mark gasped.

“Really?!” Mark was now jumping so childishly that it was impossible for Baekhyun not to melt, there was no way this kid had passed the bar. A human amidst all these occults was an anomaly in itself, Baekhyun caught in the wrong place at the wrong time, but this Mark kid seemed to be here by choice. His smile scrunched his nose cutely and his eyes were squinted crescents until Kyungsoo audibly cleared his throat, giving him a disapproving side eye.

Baekhyun gave an apologetic smile seeing the boy visibly deflate, but caught his sheepish grin as he turned away to do busy work at the prosecutor's table.

“He’s my second in command, sitting in to see how a real trial goes.”

“This is his first trial?” Junmyeon seemed bewildered at the prospect. “This isn’t exactly a good base case.”

“Why not? This kid is seriously no joke, finished top of his class amongst actual occults...two years early.”

Baekhyun spied the human's ears turning red as he pretended to be busy looking at evidence rather than listening in, an odd spark of pride glinting in the gargoyle's eye as he continued to talk highly of his little apprentice. Though, everyone seemed to quiet as Judge Choi waltzed into the room with his black judge gown sweeping the floor.

Chanyeol eyed the judge as he emerged from his quarters dressed for an 1800s funeral. It was an odd profession for a caladrius, a small bird turned grand man that could heal any sickness and yet choose the legal system. It seemed a waste of great power, to sit and moderate others petty problems all day when you could be saving lives. The witch wondered how Eunjae knew of the judge's species when he himself couldn’t feel the creature's aura.

“Have you read the witness’s testimony?” Kyowon suddenly piped up as Judge Choi was speaking quietly to the courtroom's security guard. “Not too bad eh?”

Yerim snorted, unappealingly scrunching her nose and baring her teeth. “You’re all fucked if I can’t convince the jury his testimony is somehow shit, he  _ alone _ can and  _ will _ sink your ship.”

The pixie was hotly glaring at the green witch, Eunjae still refusing to wipe the smile off his face, and Chanyeol didn’t want anything more than for this all to be over. He hated his kind with a passion he may never quell, anymore time with these coven leaders and he might just tear their heads off and sacrifice them to the Void. Kyowon, the brute, just gave his most wolfish grin. “It wouldn’t be as fun anyway.”

The pixie was close to tearing her hair out and the trial hadn’t even begun, the crimson pentagram glancing past her and coincidentally landing his gaze on the laughing human witness. Baekhyun was poking at the fey man's side as he spoke lowly, only to giggle to himself halfway through. Chanyeol noticed the man's odd fixation, though not as quick as the nosy pixie.

“Why are you staring at him? Don’t stare- you look suspicious!”

“He’s such a pretty one, prettier than you for sure.” Kyowon chuckled, gruff cadence bleeding through his scars and graveled vocal cords. Yerim whipped her head around to not so subtly sneak a glance at the oblivious human in question.

“He’s prettier than me?! Have you seen him?! He looks like death!” Yerim was disgusted, the man didn’t even begin to look human. Whatever was eating him from the inside out was doing too good a job for her liking, he could have at  _ least _ been considerate and tried to cover his flaws with foundation.

“True beauty’s on the inside, and you’re as hideous as they come. That’s saying something.” Kyowon motioned to the entirety of Yerim, dismissing her with his slimy gaze.

“Just hideous.” Eunjae added with snark. “I can’t be bothered to look at your bountiful, black soul.”

“This is why I prefer Chanyeol over you  _ animals _ , at least he is civil and  _ successfully _ conniving.” The witch could feel her manipulative eyes burning his skin, a flaring sense of repulsion pricking his nerves. She batted her eyelashes, lime eyes round slices of faux innocence as she gazed upon the tallest of the coven leaders.

“Still ugly.”

Kyowon roared in heinous laughter, slapping the table in loud, successive booms. Eunjae’s smile grew more uncomfortable as it stretched wider than a Cheshire’s, every tooth on bright display. Chanyeol couldn’t stop the pleased smile from worming it’s way into his face, however small it may be.

Pixies had low fuses when it came to temper, Yerim no different as her hands shook with the force it took to keep her hands at bay and away from their necks. Chanyeol knew the crimson witch simply wanted to pounce, to give him a reason to tear her flesh away from the muscle and see her scream in agony. It was all brutal fun when it came to Kyowon, his face hideous enough to kill someone with a misplaced glare.

Baekhyun grew pallid as his ears went under siege from barks of brusque laughter, the source a pocked man in red. The three coven leaders exuded a distinct ambience each; one of strength, the other of power, and the last with enigma. Objectively, they could even be sorted into cliche categories of brawn, brain, and beauty. But as much as Baekhyun tried to figure out each witch, he ended up coming back to one conclusion.

They were terrifying.

Baekhyun had no intention to stare, in fact, he’d just been about to look away when the green witch turned. Their eyes met in an electric pass of power, the witch suffocating the poor human in emerald dominance until the latter shook with atavistic fear. Eunjae may look court ready to any passerby, but to Baekhyun all he could see were those carnal reptilian eyes. Their slender slope and heightened tip towards the temples, reflecting a murky, swamp green that shone darker than his circular sigil.

His smile was intimate, like sharing a funny little secret just between the two of them. There was a tug in his chest that twisted his heart, something pushing inside Baekhyun towards Eunjae. The brunette held up his twitching hand, pressing the jittery joints to his aching sternum. Odd flashes blinked at the corners of his vision, the courtroom falling out to pull focus on the witch who had somehow been casted in a bright halo of green.

Ringing filled only his right ear, Baekhyun wincing but finding his hands glued to where they were placed on his chest. Eunjae grinned at him, winking his black eye in the transient frames of an old movie reel. His statue was in fire in a swirl of ugly swampy hues, shadows ebbing from where they were leashed to the floor. Growls filled his left ear, though they rattled from within himself.

The sound of a smacked gavel brought him to, Eunjae slinking back around until his shiny cropped hair was all Baekhyun could see of him. Junmyeon pulled him away from the rail, eyes defensive and lips pulled to a snarl. But Baekhyun belatedly realized the warning expression wasn’t for Eunjae.

Chanyeol had been watching the entire encounter.

“All rise for your honor, Judge Choi.”

Safely back to his spot behind the rail, Baekhyun continued to stand shakily beside his friends and Seungyeon. The detective sneaking continuous, nervous glances to the ornate courtroom doors, as if expecting something to come bursting through. The human thought nothing of the behavior, still trying to shake away the residual twitches from his short encounters with the coven leaders.

“Is the defense ready?”

Yerim, with all her poise and bright lime eyes, stood from her spot to the left of the Covens Three. Theatrically making a show of straightening her papers against the polished wood of her desk, she stood with her tight pencil skirt and thin smile.

“The defense is ready, Your Honor.”

“Is the prosecution ready?”

Kyungsoo stood, stone faced and glaring sideways to the still sitting Mark. The latter quickly stood, flustered and growing increasingly redder by the second.

“Prosecution is ready, Your Honor.”

“Well then.” Judge Choi’s round eyes scanned the courtroom, narrowing at the rows and rows of black clad witches filling the right side of the courtroom. “Let’s get this trial started.”

————————————

Baekhyun fiddled with Junmyeon’s cold fingers, it was something to occupy his busy mind off of what was occurring only a few feet away.

The actual trial couldn’t start until jury selection was made. Mark and Kyungsoo were off at their table pointing at several out of sight files, the gargoyle whispering something while pointing at one juror's profile. Mark nodded, exchanging a few more questions before the judge sent up Kyungsoo to question the possible jury. Yerim watched like a hawk as the prosecutor ambled his way to the jury box, his pressed suit cuff lying casually against the worn wood.

“Juror number 7.” A lady in her mid-fifties perked up, dropping head snapping up to find the unimpressed eyes of an equally unimpressed gargoyle. “What part of the city do you live in?”

“I live in the northern province near Oakwood Meadows.”

“Isn’t Oakwood a prestigious human retirement home?”

“It is indeed.” The juror raised her head and puffed her chest out in pride, her bowed back unfurling with the movement. “My mother and her mother before all lived out their final days in Oakwood, it’s only a matter of time before I make the switch myself.”

Kyungsoo nodded his head thoughtfully, turning to where Judge Choi was watching from his perch. “This juror is suitable for the prosecution.”

“Okay...” Baekhyun whispered, angling his head towards Junmyeon as he watched Kyungsoo move to another juror. “What just happened?”

The fey bent down to return the favor. “Each side wants jurors that think the way they do, people who will be more likely to side with your view on the case. Kyungsoo is questioning people to see if their answers line up with what he thinks will help his side.”

“And if they don’t?”

“He’ll strike them, but there are only so many jurors he can dismiss.”

Baekhyun nodded in understanding, watching the interviews as though under water, completely removed from the room and watching from below. Kyungsoo exchanged himself with Yerim and the pixie went sauntering to the jury box. Already, the jurors looked uncomfortable with her spritely presence.

“Juror number 2.” A young man in his early twenties lazily held up his forefingers in acknowledgment. He had dark curls to the shoulders with a beanie pulled over his unruly roots. “Can you see in the dark?”

Junmyeon snickered, mumbling ‘tacky’ under his breath. Baekhyun looked at him weirdly, but was far more intrigued with Yerim and juror number 2 to bother asking.

“I plead the fifth.”

Yerim‘s eye twitched.

“You can’t plead the fifth, you aren’t on the  _ stand _ .”

The man looked hazily at the ceiling, giggling as he traced an unseen shape into the air. His smile was dopey and he didn’t even spare a lick of attention at Yerim or her impatient nail tapping.

“Can you please answer the question sir?”

“Is that guy high?” Baekhyun whispered to Junmyeon, the latter looking increasingly amused if the mirth swimming in his eyes was anything to go by.

“It would appear so. Better her strike than our own.”

The coven leaders were all snickering, the pixie growing red in the face as she called upon one of her strikes to get the man escorted out of the courtroom. She was threatening to hold him in contempt of court, but the man couldn’t stand up straight let alone listening to her high pitched bitching.

Yerim took her next victim in the form of a juror with slicked back black hair, a mauve cashmere sweater extending snugly around his thin neck. A black blazer sat overtop the sweater with a thin chain drooping to his sternum, his jaw strong with smooth angles jutting out to frame his porcelain face. A few loosened strands of raven hair rested against his forehead, black eyes pitiless opals that bored into the pixie as she took a second to get her bearings.

“Juror number 11,” the pixie cleared her throat as her voice cracked when the handsome man tilted his head in acknowledgment, looking at her slightly sideways with blank eyes. “Do you- uh- sorry. Have you ever been in a serious, long lasting relationship?”

“What the hell?” Junmyeon exhaled. “What does that have to do with the case?”

“Beats me...”

Juror 11 didn’t look uncomfortable by the indirect flirting, angular eyes narrowing a milli-fraction before blinking at the flustered pixie. His hand went to fiddle with a bracelet out of sight, eye contact unwavering as he rolled his flushed lips.

“I had a long-standing relationship with a high school sweetheart, but we mutually decided to separate after four years.”

Yerim leaned imperceptibly closer over the jurors box, knees weak as she stared into the man's black eyes. Baekhyun was getting second hand embarrassment, how unprofessional of her to openly ogle a juror. The man broke eye contact to look over at the Covens Three, not an easy feat as many jurors had been clearly avoiding acknowledging the defense. The man was carved from marble, Baekhyun swore the man bore no weakness or emotion.

Juror 11 looked over to the prosecution as Yerim rattled off yet another inappropriate and prying question, empty eyes landing on the sickly Baekhyun. He didn’t bother to let his eyes linger long, seemingly unimpressed. But for what little amount of time they had stared, Baekhyun felt very uncomfortable. Something was wrong with the man, he was clearly a human yet exuded an odd aura. Chanyeol could feel it too, he leaned forward with that puppy tilt of his as soon as the juror made eye contact with the pixie.

The other two coven leaders didn’t seem to notice, or perhaps didn’t care. But Chanyeol knew deep down this guy was trouble, from his unmoving eyebrows all the way down to his rigid shoulders. He bore no magic, which made him all the more intimidating to the witch. Baekhyun just simply didn’t get a good vibe from his character, only being able to compare their short encounter to meeting eyes with a decapitated animal head hung upon a wall.

The judge cleared his throat, having to resort to verbally snapping at the defender in order to rip her attention from the unamused juror. She grew red in the face as she made a quick getaway to the defense table, lime eyes shimmering in a way that could only spell disaster.

“We’re getting rid of him.” Chanyeol said with a tone of finality, angling his body away from the calculative eyes of the jury. “He’s not fit for our side.”

“I hate to agree with him.” Kyowon spat, sniffling in open disgust towards the handsome juror. “But I agree with the softie, we strike the fucker and get his ugly ass outta here.”

Yerim stared at the confident leaders, all in an eerie state of agreement, which never happened. It should’ve been a sign to listen, after all, the witches wouldn’t do anything overtly rash to hurt themselves. Witches weren’t stupid creatures, their aggression was almost always warranted. Pixies, on the other hand, weren’t as bright of creatures. They were temperamental, brash, and stubborn to a fault. What she saw wasn’t a warning, but opposition.

“We’re keeping him.”

“There’s no point.” Chanyeol stressed, harshly whispering at the infuriating pixie as if tone could get through her thick skull. “There’s no point to keep him! I’m telling you, the guy is bad news. I can  _ feel _ it.”

“Trials aren’t about  _ feeling _ . They’re about evidence, cold hard facts, and manipulation. I’m confident the prosecution will strike juror 11, there’s no reason to waste a strike on him when we have other candidates to worry about.”

“Like who?!” Chanyeol aggressively jerked his head to the box. “The fucking crocheter with forty fucking grandkids?!”

Kyowon and Eunjae collectively scooted back as the other two had an intense stare down. All eyes in the courtroom were watching their little showdown, the witch’s iridescent sigil bleeding to a bright cobalt. Baekhyun didn’t understand what was happening, but he knew the pixie was crazy if she was able to stare down a pissed witch with as much fervor as she was. The coven leader's usually handsome face was screwed in annoyance, eyebrows drawn down and lips a misplaced looking frown. His comma hair revealed his agitated sigil, but their lawyer didn’t seem to give a single damn.

“We’re keeping him. End of discussion.”

“Whore.” Chanyeol hissed, loud enough for only their table to hear.

Yerim seethed, eyes flashing before she turned back to Judge Choi with her written strikes in hand. Her and the prosecutor walked up and handed in their files, walking back to their respective corners as the judge overlooked their decisions.

Eunjae had to wrap his spindly fingers around Chanyeol’s wrist to keep him down.

Juror 11 wasn’t struck.

Chanyeol was going to eat Yerim alive when recess was called, and he knew his peers weren’t going to stop him.

————————————

Recess was called, the hollow sound of the gavel slamming launching Baekhyun into another heightened sense of paranoia. Opening statements had been made, each side bringing forth their layout of the trial. The human hated to admit it, but for all of Yerim’s plentiful flaws, she was a  _ damn _ good lawyer. It actually had Baekhyun questioning the outcome of the case, he had been reassured that his testimony would be the nail in the coffin, the secret weapon, the fatal strike. But  _ now _ ...now he wasn’t so sure.

The pixie seemed pretty confident, even if Junmyeon said it was all just a facade to get into his head. It was working, all they had so far was opening statements and an expert witness statement over magic usage in districts outside the Witchin area. They were laying down the foundation, as Seungyeon had explained, still looking squirrelly. They wouldn’t need him until tomorrow or possibly the day after.

Some more evidence was to be presented today, everything eventually leading to his statement and hopefully, giving more power to the punch. Baekhyun didn’t bother with the finer details, didn’t hang off of every expert witness’s statement until he fell off his seat. He’d been distracted all day and it was almost lunchtime, he didn’t know how much longer he could last in the stifling environment.

Junmyeon was off talking to the prosecution team, Jongdae and Minseok off to find the restroom, leaving Seungyeon to fidget alongside a numb Baekhyun. He could hear every click of a heel on the tiled floor,  _ feel _ the passing eyes as coven members milled about aimlessly,  _ taste _ the foul atmosphere that lingered in the air. He stared at the ceiling as his leg bounced beside the bench he sat in, Seungyeon every few seconds leaning away from her perch on the wall to pace in front of the bench, only to end up leaning against the wall again.

Finally, the brunette had enough of her dark ponytail swinging across the bottom of his vision.

“You’ve been acting weird, ever since the trial started.”

The detective stopped, worrying her bottom lip she thought Baekhyun couldn’t see from his position towards the ceiling. He could, of course, see every obvious tell that bled from her shaky frame.

She smiled, white and tight. “I’m perfectly fine.”

“Sure, lie to your key witness. See where that gets you.”

Baekhyun was far too exhausted to care, sleepless nights always have a way in catching up to you. He tried to drink caffeine, but ended up vomiting any form of energy booster from his system. In the end, he was more tired than before. Energy sapped, determination low.

Shortly after the couple returned from their escapade to the restroom, court was called back to session. Everyone filed back into the courtroom fairly easily, but when Baekhyun tried to get up, he found his legs to be jello. They were numb and, like a newborn fawn, fell back into the wooden planks of the bench.

He winced, pricking sensations setting off a wave of uncomfortable searing pain in the pads of his feet. The hallway had emptied out, the human left to struggle until one of his posse realized he was gone. What happened to keeping an eye on him?

Baekhyun went to stand up again, weight tumbling forward to avoid the bench but simultaneously propelling him forward on his unsteady feet. The pain in his feet flared, knees buckling but he never hit the thickly tiled floor.

A hand caught his nearly flailing arm, holding him up by the single limb. The pain in his feet dispersed almost immediately, shaking legs settling to a dull vibration in the muscle. He straightened his legs, standing on his own two feet that felt so normal he almost forgot the pain he felt only seconds ago. The grip on his arm came as a second thought. It was painful, like a coiled snake, but it wasn’t what made the human wince as he turned his head to see his savior.

It was none other than Park Chanyeol.

The two stood staring for a hot second, the witch’s eyes flickering all over his face as if searching for something. Baekhyun scrunched his nose slowly as his discomfort grew more prominent, like a blunt knife being pressed into his back he could only endure for so long. The taller man didn’t seem to notice, or simply didn’t care.

“Please let go of me.”

Chanyeol snapped his eyes back to the human's chestnut ones, flecks of black floating around the outer rim of his irises. He didn’t have that before.

“A thanks would be nice.”

Baekhyun winced again at the witch’s low timbre, an unexpected pairing with a face like his. He surprisingly forgot how his voice sounded, like the far off echo of a pebble hitting the bottom of a well. It was the last echo, the one you heard before the sound grew too faint to hear. It was low and quiet, but it seemed to resound the longest in your mind.

Baekhyun was too scattered, one second meeting the intense stare of deep cobalt, then dozing off to snap back to a curved smirk. The witch seemed amused, but for all the wrong reasons. His porcelain skin glimmered in the dim hallway lights, every fiber woven into his suit a different shade of black that reflected the iridescent gleam of his sigil. A soft sigil compared to his peers, Baekhyun noted absently, again chasing a different train of thought that drove him in circles.

“I know I’m handsome, but please keep the staring to a minimum?”

Baekhyun let loose a scoff, twisting his arm uncomfortably where the coven leader still held it. But Chanyeol was smug, still, mirth swimming in his eyes and a smile worming it’s way into his smirk. The human felt his hand twitching to slap it away, a rare growl of violence seizing his exhausted body. He simply curled his hand to a fist, weeks of control coming to the surface. He bemused as to when he started to turn to aggression as an answer.

“Let me go  _ please _ .” Baekhyun sneered, wiggling his arm as if to remind the witch that he was still holding him. “I can stand perfectly  _ fine _ on my own.”

“Hm...” the witch purred, sigil seizing in light as if a lightbulb had gone off in his head. “You didn’t seem like it a few minutes ago. In fact, you couldn’t even get off a bench.”

“ _ Patronizing bastard _ .” Baekhyun was not beneath growling, throat dry and itching as the witch was beginning to look more and more appealing drenched in red.

“How feisty...” Chanyeol looked at him differently then, taking a step back and giving him a skeptical once over. “How unusual...”

The witch let go of him quickly, as if burned. The playfulness was gone, replaced with that calculating witch from before. Baekhyun had to be suffering from whiplash, the change was too quick.

“Baekhyun!” Junmyeon was running over to the human, quickly pulling him away from his close proximity to the coven leader. Chanyeol didn’t look bothered, watching the exchange with witchy curiosity and a tilted head.

“This is witness tampering, you can pay greatly for this.”

Chanyeol smiled at the hissed threat, teeth catching the light like the sharp daggers they were, words cutting as he spoke with a low purr. “You can’t tamper with a witness that isn’t testifying against you.”

Suddenly, a second witch sidled up to the coven leader, the silver one from before. His face was set in stone, eyeing the other pair with something akin to disgust. He leaned his thin frame towards Chanyeol to whisper something in his ear, the latter nodding as understanding washed over his face. The cobalt witch nodded his head in the duo's direction with a conserved smile, the hues in his eyes shifting as he started to back away.

“It was a pleasure to talk to you again Baekhyun.”

The human could barely catch the look Chanyeol threw at him as he turned his broad back to them, worry evident in the thin cracks of his mask. The other witch stayed put, pursing his lips with an evasive once over. He never seemed satisfied, Baekhyun noticed. He was either wicked or disappointed, almost as if he expected something different when he faced the witness.

There was a final call for the court session, but the witch didn’t move.

“Sehun.”

Like a crack of a whip, the nagging in the witch’s mind released. He turned around and soundlessly walked back into the courtroom without even a look back. Somehow it was worse than when he stared at Baekhyun like prey. Now, he looked almost disturbed. Baekhyun came to the conclusion he didn’t like witches, or their tendency to know so much more than met the eye.

————————————

As the cobalt coven was fighting their way through the gathered press stationed on the grand steps of the occultist courthouse, Chanyeol watched from afar. His ebony Rolls-Royce Phantom was still halfway across the city, Sehun having the idea of sending the coven home first in hopes of the crowd dying out after the excitement of barraging witches ceased. It was sad, Chanyeol pondered, that even in modern day society his kind was scorned. Humans and occults alike would always happily join a cause to raise their pitchforks and torches, no matter how flimsy.

There were anti-witch protesters behind the press, blocking his coven's way to their line of cars. He could see their vulgar signs and feel their globbed spit on his skin, shuddering in disgust at their evident waves of hate rolling off their fragile bodies. Sehun stepped beside him, also watching from the safety of the courthouse’s pillar. He seemed more upset than usual, lips downturned and created those oh-so hated frown lines.

“I hate humans.”

His trench coat fluttered in the pick up of wind, short fringe unfurling and flapping against his forehead. The silver stands caught the light in unnatural ways, irritated straight brows intensifying his already stark face. Sehun didn’t like any of this, something was wrong with that human boy and it rubbed him the wrong way.

“Hate is a strong word.” Chanyeol said slowly, evenly. Sehun never understood how his friend was able to be so diplomatic, to stare at humans in their red faces and see something that wasn’t scorn. It took a strong man to take the hate he received and not serve it back to the deserving fucks who drove their kind to ward off a section of the city for safety.

“They don’t deserve to rule this world the way they do, they’re the weakest species on this planet after sprites.”

“You're starting to sound like Eunjae.”

It was a subtle warning. Witches like Eunjae weren’t welcomed by their coven, by Chanyeol. Sehun, like most witches, was scarred by humans early on in life. It was hard to go against the grain and the way witches had been for centuries. It was difficult to suppress his emotional flares when people would shout and spit at him when he ventured out of Witchin when he could easily smite them were they stood.

It was especially difficult now, groups of shouting humans pushing against their coven as they were patiently and peacefully trying to get to their cars. Sehun never had the same patient as Chanyeol, though a better poker face in public as cameras attempted to flash a chink in his armor. Now though, he was  _ greatly _ agitated, a long day and the prospect of stress to come pushing down on his shoulders until they ached.

Chanyeol frowned, eyes roaming the crowd of humans. They forwent their hate speech chants, instead swinging their poster board signs dangerously close to his people. The press were simply snapping photos, apathetic to how the witches may feel and only caring for the best photo for their online additions. The itch of injustice was never quite scratched when it came to humans, no matter how many chances Chanyeol gave them, they never failed to disappoint.

“Enough.” Sehun turned to him, eyes hardened to steel. Chanyeol suppresses a sigh. “You have to do something before  _ they _ do.”

He taught his coven well, but others were more susceptible to snapping than the others. One wrong move and the press would get exactly what they wanted.

Huffing in defeat, the coven leader stepped out slightly from his pillar perch. Raising a hand he brought blue to the surface, tapping into his soul and gathering a small amount of power from his reserves. Cobalt wisps wove within the confines of his hand, weaving in and out of his stretched fingers with a hiss. Closing his eyes, he felt out the easily distinguishable humans from the mellowed capsules of his coven.

Sehun watched as the cobalt strands of magic were shot from his leader's hand, the wisps dispersing into the air and striking the group of humans below. A wall of color flashed like a thin veil between the opposing groups, pushing back the humans just enough for the aware witches to slip past the confused crowd.

“Well executed, simple but effective.”

“Oh how I live for your praises Sehun.”

The latter scoffed, watching with tension bleeding from his shoulders as the last dregs of the coven quickly filed into the cars. He wouldn’t dignify his friend with a response, turning his nose high and keeping his gaze trained on the commotion below to watch for signs of trouble.

He didn’t see the way Chanyeol smiled.

Feeling eyes on him, the witch tucked his hands into the pockets of his overcoat as the wind continued to wiz by. He redirected only his eyes as he saw the pallid figure of Baekhyun in his peripheral, his thin figure shaking in the wind. His face was cold, distrustful. He was staring intently at the coven leader as if that’d give him the answers he was looking for, uncaring of his unabashed staring.

He could see the peaking blue of the witches irises shift, knowing his gaze was being met but doing nothing about it. He merely buried himself deeper into his coat, trying to hide the way his bones shook. Baekhyun had seen what the witch did, at least, whatever cobalt threads had materialized between his fingers. They were like those string tricks people would play in elementary school, twisting their fatty hands and revealing a new shape with every planned move.

The brunette had also seen what his fellow humans were attempting to do to the subdued witches. He was in awe of their discipline, Baekhyun was sure he’d have run away long before the protestors could get up in his face.

But no matter how much he tried to think of a reason, he couldn’t blame Chanyeol for intervening.

The press were floundering around as they lie in wait for more prey to bound out from the courtroom, the protestors easily slipping back into their discriminatory chanting. It was as if they forgot all about the odd end to the previously growing tension, and Baekhyun wondered if it had anything to do with the stoic coven leader across the way.

The wind picked up, streaks of blue dancing around his flapping coat in a brilliant but fading light show. He blinked and they were gone. Baekhyun would’ve sworn it never happened if not for the lingering wisps around Chanyeol’s clasped hands. The color quickly shot down and sunk into the witch’s flesh, discoloring the pale skin until fading back to white.

Baekhyun narrowed his eyes at the unassuming man, his overgrown, dull hair swiping across his vision. Chanyeol stared ahead in all his ethereal beauty, gelled hair slowly freeing with every gust of wind until the loosened Klein blue caressed his face in an unfairly good looking way. The brunette had a feeling he could never hope to understand the man, a complex puzzle impossible to solve.

Funnily enough, Chanyeol thought the same about the human.

———————————— 

It was day three of the trial now, it was Baekhyun’s turn to testify.

They were getting ready to go, Junmyeon and Yixing, as Baekhyun sat with his elbows on his knees. The bokor was humming softly in the kitchen as he fixed breakfast, though the human already knew he wasn’t going to eat. He was looking down at the tie in his hands, watching the frail fabric shake in his feeble hands. He wasn’t going to be able to keep it together, he was unraveling faster than toddlers first knot.

“Yixing, where is my briefcase?”

“Under the coffee table as it usually is when you strew it across the room.”

“I didn’t ask for the attitude.”

“Jesus, shut the  _ fuck _ up.”

Baekhyun was going to kill the two occults before the end of the day. They couldn’t go two sentences without coming at the jugular, although to be fair to Yixing, it was often a one sided brawl.

“Sorry Baekhyun.” Yixing popped his blonde head into the former's vision, smiling apologetically with a skillet in hand. “We’ll try to be more  _ mature _ for your sake.”

The last part was clearly directed at the irritable fey, who was rolling his eyes out of sight. He crouched to grab his briefcase, cracking open the creaking leather to review some confidential files  _ yet again _ . Yixing went back to cooking, but as soon as Baekhyun smelt the delicious aroma wafting from the kitchen, he swiftly crept off to the bathroom.

He hadn’t been able to keep anything down for over a week, ever since the  _ incident _ . He was able to avoid it for the most part, feeling a guilty sense of relief for Luhan being absent and, therefore, unable to question what he probably already knew.

Baekhyun vomited nothing but stomach acid, painfully attempting to keep his dry heaving and coughing to a minimum. The bile burned his throat, the acrid scent invading his newly sensitive nostrils and causing him to hack even more. His stomach was contracting more painfully than usual, the whole ordeal throwing him for a loop as it never lasted  _ this _ long.

By the time he gathered enough energy to flush the toilet, there was a tentative knock at the door. His heart leaped painfully, Baekhyun barely being able to suppress a groan as a voice drifted through the door.

“Are you alright in there? Yixing’s finished breakfast...you need to eat something.” The last part was whispered, but it spoke volumes anyway.

“I’m fine.” Baekhyun croaked, wincing at the wreaked state of his voice. It was as if someone scrubbed his vocals raw with 60 grit sandpaper. “I’ll eat something on the way there.”

They both knew it was a lie. The only difference was Junmyeon thought it was nerves.

“Well...hurry on out, we don’t want to be late. It’s a big day.”

A ‘big day’ was the fucking understatement of the year.

————————————

“We call Byun Baekhyun to the stand.”

He couldn’t do this.

By now the eyes were a constant, only now they were more scrutinizing. Everyone wanted to know what’d he say, if whatever rumor they heard was true. If the human, that looked and smelled of death even through thick cologne, could  _ possibly _ say anything that could bring down the great Covens Three. In all honesty, Baekhyun still didn’t feel all that powerful nor all that special. Maybe it was the years of being so painfully average, but never once did he ever view himself as anything of value.

He felt as though people were putting him on some sort of podium, showing him for all to see and pointing at him like some spectacle. Baekhyun was never the center of attention, and now the whole damn world was watching. He was the newest addition to a freak show, or perhaps, the only exhibit. He still hadn’t decided.

Stumbling to his feet, he looked with shaken eyes towards Kyungsoo. He nodded his head imperceptibly in a show of encouragement, Mark sending two thumbs up underneath the table. The courtroom guard unlatched the rails gate and let him through, stoically standing to the side to allow him to make his way towards the stand.

The stretch of floor between him and the stand seemed to span a desert, forest, tundra, and ocean all in one. You could’ve told Baekhyun he was making his way halfway across the world and he’d believe you. It had been getting exponentially more difficult to move, his joints stiff and head splitting in pain like struck gold. Now it was just obvious as he hobbled his way to sit next to the caladrius judge, practically hearing his bones creak as he moved.

Sitting down in the hot seat, he wiped the continuous sweat from his palms. They were pale and clammy, cold at the tips but heat radiated from the palm. He dug his nails into the legs of his pants, praying for it all to be over soon. He was ready to rip the bandaid off, yet too scared of the pain to come.

From here he could see the entire courtroom, and they could see him. The clacking of the stenographers typing suspended the courtroom into restless patience, too many eyes to count all staring at  _ him _ . Baekhyun tried to remember what Junmyeon had coached him about with being on the stand. Answer honestly, don’t get worked up, and don’t talk directly to the jury. He was missing a good few, but those were the most important ones in his mind.

Finally, the stenography stopped her typing and signaled towards Judge Choi. In turn, the caladrius motioned a hand to Kyungsoo, the prosecutor getting up and out of his seat with a creak. Mark eagerly took notes back from his seat, switching his twitching eyes up to the scene unfolding before him back to the files on his desk. Baekhyun was going to pass out, a sudden wave of nausea constricting his throat.

“Mr. Byun, on the 25th of September, were you out clubbing with friends?”

“Yes sir,” he shakily replied, licking his dry and cracking lips. He blinked to try and restore moisture to his eyes, seeing the lawyer rapidly flash in and out of his vision in doing so. “My friends were cheering me up after a tough few days, so we went out.”

_ Be vague, but not  _ too _ vague. Answer the question, but don’t reveal enough to possibly discredit your testimony _ . Junmyeon’s coaching echoed through his head, the fey having given the human more than enough rundowns of his testimony to have Baekhyun reciting it in his sleep.

“Can you please tell the jury who these friends were?”

_ Speak confidently, but not smugly. The jury will be judging you harshly, you need to appear a certain way at certain times _ .

“Kim Jongdae and Kim Minseok.”

“At approximately what time did you and your friends separate from said clubbing?”

“Um...it’s hard to say.” Baekhyun feigned thinking, pondering the exact time he had started his snowball down this slippery slope. “I checked my phone right before leaving the club, it was midnight.”

“Permission time approaches the jury?” Kyungsoo turned to the judge, the handsome occult with his rounded eyes nodding his assent.

“These are the taxi records showing the exact time the Kim’s left the  _ Stained Glass _ , as you can see it was 11:54 pm when they called the taxi and 11:57 pm when it arrived.”

Movement behind Kyungsoo caught Baekhyun’s eye, easily transitioning his hawkish eyes from the lawyer to where the defense attorney was eagerly shifting in her seat. Yerim was flickering her pen impatiently, constantly shifting as if ready for  _ one _ reason to pounce. She had to use her objections sparingly, Junmyeon had told him judges weren’t fond of objection-happy lawyers.

“So, after you left the  _ Stained Glass _ , where were you planning on heading?”

“I didn’t have a destination.” Baekhyun answered honestly, finding it harder and harder to maintain eye contact with the gargoyle and his stone grey eyes. His body was fussing, and his stomach roiled, but he couldn’t cross his arms in comfort or he’d be risking looking defensive and shut-out. “I was going where the night took me.”

“And that was to the Peculiar Poppy?”

“Objection!”

The courtroom shifted to Yerim, the pixie and her lime sliced eyes standing with her hands sprawled against the oak table. The coven leaders that sat beside her looked vaguely unamused, almost bored. All except one.

“Leading question, Your Honor.”

“Sustained.” Judge Choi smacked his gavel and Baekhyun flinched. Loud noises bothered him more often these days, or perhaps he was just never so sensitively in tune to surrounding sounds.

The judge looked in warning towards Kyungsoo, who backed away from the stand with a polite bow of his head.

“Let me rephrase, did the night take you to the Peculiar Poppy?”

“Yes.”

“Were you aware you were in the Witchin District?”

Baekhyun hesitated, feeling more than seeing the room leaning forward. He still didn’t understand the significance of entering the district, he knew something about the wards being pretty pungent, but not much else. Objectively, he shouldn’t have been able to get in at all. Sadly, his presence in the courtroom spoke volumes for how that turned out.

_ Won’t mentioning the Witchin District hurt my testimony more than anything? I mean...even  _ we _ don’t talk about it _ .

_ Whoever states their story first will always have the advantage, if we can mention the Witchin District, it’ll show we have nothing to hide. If we don’t, the defense will use that against us and twist it into their narrative. Court isn’t about winning overall, it’s about beating out your opponent _ .

“I was not aware.” Short and sweet.

“Were you aware you were in a pub owned by a witch coven?”

“I honestly just saw an open establishment and went in, I didn’t think my life was in danger or I would never have dared to enter. I know next to nothing about witches, but I know you don’t go stepping into their territory without punishment.”

Kyungsoo shot him a look, he spoke too much. Oh well, it was his first court as Yixing had reminded him earlier that week. He was bound to mess up, as long as his testimony helped his side more than the other, Baekhyun didn’t have too much to worry himself over. At least, that’s what the bokor had told him amidst a panic attack induced by a fear of failure.

Snapping his mouth shut, he hoped the defense hadn’t noted his mistake. What wishful thinking.

“Can you explain to the jury what happened in the Peculiar Poppy  _ after _ you stepped in.”

Baekhyun knew this one, it was the one Junmyeon was so  _ hell bent _ on getting just right. He felt as though he was reading from a perfectly orchestrated script, every word plunked and plotted to entice the correct response and ensure the least amount of holes to exploit.

“There was a fight. It seemed two groups of opposing people were having some sort of argument. There were talks of thievery and territory disagreements,  _ way _ above my pay grade.” A few jurors cracked a smile at that, Baekhyun relaxed a bit for the first time that morning.

“Before I knew what was happening, chairs and glass and wood were being thrown about. It’s all a blur, but I managed to escape to some sort of back hallway.” Baekhyun skipped over the strange Adonis who had managed to throw him into said hallway or the fact that black stalagmites had materialized from the darkness. “There, I was able to get to a door. I thought it was a back exit, but I turned out to be an office.”

“What was in this office?”

“Objection!”

The courtroom again turned its attention to Yerim, the defense attorney standing with aggravation clear on her dewy skin. Judge Choi looked expectantly towards the pixie, Park Chanyeol on the other hand, looked absolutely vexed at the interruption.

“Are we ever going to get to the point? This is an entire narrative, what does an office have to do with my clients?”

Judge Choi looked cryptically towards Kyungsoo, Baekhyun feeling his heart leap to his throat. This shouldn’t be so frightening, he reasoned himself. Except, he was absolutely terrified. The jury were all looking at him and the caladrius, juror 11 in particular, staring coldly at the witness.

“Mr. Do, I believe you need to  _ get to the point _ .”

The human was going to faint, forgetting restraint for a moment to reach up and rub at his brow. Court was stressful, he didn’t understand people who willingly came here for  _ work _ . Probably for the money, and the fact it wasn’t their lives on the line.

“Mr. Byun, we have screenshots from security cameras in and around the Peculiar Poppy showing you running from the premises at 1:24 am. Permission to approach the jury?”

“Granted.”

Kyungsoo walked towards the jury box, handing out copies of the blurry, blown up photograph of Baekhyun’s lean figure fleeing the scene. The camera had caught the light reflecting from his eyes as he ran, head turned back to glance at whoever was chasing him. The brunette was feeling sick just looking at the picture, twisting his face as a foul taste was brought to his mouth at the resurface of memories.

“We’re you fleeing someone in this photograph Mr. Byun?”

“Yes.”

“Who was it you were fleeing from?”

Baekhyun was silent, he could feel the heated glare of the pixie burning into his face. She was ready for an objection,  _ any _ objection to throw Kyungsoo’s direct examination off course. But the human was stubborn. He may not be a courtroom guru, but he also wasn’t easy. If this chick was expecting an easy fight, he’d give her anything but. Baekhyun survived  _ this _ long, no way was he going to go down because of some bitch’s trigger-happy objections.

“I was fleeing from him.”

Baekhyun pointed directly towards Eunjae, the green witch vacant of his usual smile but mirth muddled his green eyes.

The courtroom erupted into chaos, Yerim screaming her objection over the roaring crowd. Kyungsoo, being the perfect picture of calm, simultaneously told the stenographer to ‘let the record show the witness has pointed at defendant Choi Eunjae’.

Judge Choi was slamming his gavel repeatedly, the wooden mallets thick pad jumping at the aggressive contact. He yelled for order, the courtrooms security officer suddenly multiplying into several clones of himself to contain the witches pushing against the rail, deprecating them from Baekhyun. The latter's posse was in a completely different state of their own, the Kin couple being shoved behind Yixing and Seungyeon who were both trying to contain Junmyeon. The fey was attempting to jump the nearest witch as the threat grew at alarming rates, monochromatic eyes gleaming with murderous intent as he swept the crowd with a predator's gaze.

Mark was absolutely terrified, a juxtaposition to Baekhyun’s odd calm. He stared down Eunjae in his brief lapse of fear, the pain and deterioration of his body halting if only for a moment to allow him clarity. Baekhyun was going to take down these fuckers if it was the last thing he did, riding the adrenaline high to his own personal vendetta.

“Order! Order in the court!”

“Objection your honor-“

“Keep it to yourself Kim.” The judge slammed his gavel, and Baekhyun feared it would break only to haul off and hit someone. He hoped it was Yerim.

Finally, the courtroom settled to a low simmer. Judge Choi looked worse for wear as his gelled hair was slightly disheveled at the commotion. Face gone red in anger, it flared when his eyes landed on none other than his personal fairy who had escaped his office at the ruckus. He looked ready to chuck the gavel at the confused occult, hissing something in a foreign tongue and sending the creature scuttling back.

“Your-“

“I don’t want to  _ hear _ it Ms. Kim.” The pixie shut her mouth with a clack at the clear warning in his words, poison dripping at the tongue. “Continue Do, and I don’t want another  _ peep _ spoken in my courtroom or I’ll hold you  _ all _ in contempt of court.”

Kyungsoo continued as if the commotion never happened, speaking evenly as the judge made it his mission to glare a warning at every single witch in his court.

“How do you know it was Eunjae chasing you?”

“I saw his sigil,” Baekhyun pointed at the symbol emblazoned on the witch’s head. The stenographer took note. “Only coven leaders have that thing, and as far as I know they cannot be replicated.”

“Sigils indeed  _ cannot _ be falsified,” Kyungsoo turned towards the still reeling jury. “As we learned from previous witnesses.”

“Ob-“

“Overruled.”

“But I haven’t-“

“Don’t question me girl.”

Yerim sat with an angry huff, except Kyowon didn’t laugh as he usually did. Chanyeol was also quiet, probably still processing just how fucked they were. Eunjae simply stared, smiling minutely at the human as if sharing a secret just between the two of them. It was then that his head pulsed painfully, vision whiting out and ears ringing painfully.

When he came to, eyes wide and ears still filled with cotton, he realized he’d been asked a question.

“I’m sorry, can you repeat.”

If Baekhyun didn’t know Kyungsoo, he’d say the gargoyle looked worried. Nonetheless, he repeated himself.

“Why is it you were being chased?”

“I saw too much.” Baekhyun said gravely, deadpanning and turning his blank eyes towards the jury. He locked onto juror 11, a fiery pin snagged onto the lapel of his leather jacket.

“But what did you see?”

“I saw a trio of men summon darkness from beyond, saw their eyes turn black from conjuring shadows. I saw them drag a beaten and nearly dead boy with the most vibrant blue hair from somewhere I couldn’t see, a boy younger than I.”

Baekhyun was commanding the entire room, every soul hitched onto his every word like an audience hooked on the peak of a crescendo. The crash would be soon, sure to deafen those who leaned too close. He purposefully paused, breaking eye contact with juror 11 to look at every single one with his dead eyes.

“I saw as they used black magic to conjure a black blade that cut through the very fabric of reality, that sucked life from the mere  _ air _ around it. I saw them not only murder, but  _ torture _ the other witch with the blade within a ritual rune. I saw as his tainted blood filled the grooves of the runes until they saw  _ me _ . That’s when I ran.”

The court was in somber silence, Baekhyun’s hefty gaze scanning through the rows of silent witches. They came in all sorts of different sizes and colors, hairs ranging from black to red all the way to green and yellow. Sehun, who Baekhyun came to know as the silver witch, looked at him for the first time with a look akin to almost  _ fear _ . All of the witches looked perturbed, seeing a bunny turn feral will do that to a person.

“No further questions your honor.”

Kyungsoo’s heavy steps echoed loudly in the suspended room, slowly lowering himself into his chair to write something down. Baekhyun listened to the scrawl of his pen against the thick papers, each scratch like the tick of a clock. Baekhyun waited. The Covens Three sat still, Kyowon was staring expectedly at Yerim, and it was then that Baekhyun realized something. These witches were ignorant, their whole lives they believed themselves to be apex predators. They never had to worry about being overpowered, they were at the top of the food chain. What a reality check it must be, a slap in the face to realize that there was nothing their lawyer could do to fix this. They had been far too relaxed, too cool and smug that they’d win. Oh how Baekhyun shut that down, it was truly just icing on the cake that it was human who was able to do so.

Baekhyun could feel the cobalt witch’s eyes on him, they always were. Even when they weren’t, they were watching on in boredom until he could look back at the human. This time the brunette didn’t bother to try and avoid it, unabashedly turning his head and raising an eyebrow at the unnerved expression he received. Something wasn’t right with the way Chanyeol looked, as if someone had shoved a salted lemon in his mouth and told him to eat it. He simply looked,  _ wrong _ .

Sehun was disturbed and worried with a pinch of fear marring that pretty face, but it wasn’t fear for himself. The same went for Chanyeol, as he did not fear the human as the brunette may have mistaken. Other pleb witches may, but to those ranking higher in their hierarchy, it was never their enemies they feared. They feared for what their kind would do to their enemies. Witches were endless creatives, with a limitless power to be tapped. To Chanyeol, he wasn’t looking at a human witness, he was looking at a dead man.

Yerim stood shakily, attempting to hide the tremor in her hands by pushing her weight against the table. It only succeeded in pushing the wooden table, pulling a cringey screech that grated the ears. The pixie flinched, but looked towards the apathetic judge who looked down at her with hawkish eyes.

“I-“ she cleared her throat. “I would like to request a, uh, extended recess to build a new defense your honor.” Her voice grew meeker, the reality settling in. The jury looked at her in disbelief, as if anything she could think of would possibly change their minds. Nonetheless, her recess was granted.

To Baekhyun, it was delaying the inevitable.

————————————

It was Jongdae’s idea to go to a cafe during their extended break, and somehow Yixing was the one who picked the spot. It was all about “escaping that stuffy atmosphere” when in reality it was more like “we need to get Baekhyun away from the witches as far and fast as possible”.

The small hole in the wall cafe they ended up stumbling upon was one of Yixing’s earliest endeavors in business. He originally created the small establishment in hopes of being able to sell his herbal teas to humans that were constantly pestering him about safe magic consumption. Sadly, the place wasn’t open for more than two weeks before some close-minded humans took the place down on claims of non consensual voodoo. It was easy enough, Yixing was after all, both a foreigner  _ and _ a bokor. A deadly combination.

Now it was a cafe, the owner some bright eyed sprite with an affinity for mouthy foreign nymphs. The young duo liked Yixing, often giving him free reign over the kitchen to make those herbal teas.

The bokor led their small group towards a wall of chalk murals, swirls of sporty pink and green creating a forest of color. The blonde sat down in a cozy booth, the Kim couple sitting across on their own side of the booth with Baekhyun being sandwiched between the fey and the bokor. He was already going through his rolodex of excuses for why he wasn’t going to be eating or drinking, when the bright owner from before bounded in springy bounces towards their table.

“Yixing! How pleasant to see you again! And with  _ friends _ !”

“Hello Jaemin, still chasing after that nymph?”

“You betcha! Can I get y’all anything?”

The dreaded question had been asked. The sprite had the softest peach hair and a blinding smile to rival the sun, little notepad in hand and bouncing on the balls of his feet. Everyone was slowly ordering their desired treats and goodies, when Jaemin directed his sparkling eyes towards him.

“And for you good sir?” He chirped.

“Oh I’m-“

“He’ll have an espresso.”

“Really I’m-“

“Extra kick please.”

Jaemin finished his hurried scrawling with a cute furrow of his brow, concentration lifting to offer a smile before he glided away. He was gone as fast as he appeared, more akin to a wraith than a sprite. Baekhyun glared at where Junmyeon was unassumingly looking at a menu, even after they had ordered. It’s flowy calligraphy mocked Baekhyun, certain emboldened words screaming their cackles.

“I said I was fine.”

“I haven’t seen you eat in  _ days _ , you’re tired all the time and won’t consume any caffeine. Quite frankly, you need this pick-me-up if you expect to get through this trial. Hell, get through the  _ day _ .”

Baekhyun huffed, wanting to end the conversation before it turned to prying. He’d just have to find a way to dispose of the coffee before his so-called friends could pry open his mouth and shove it down his throat. Vomiting immediately after consuming food or drink isn’t a good sign, and he was truly choosing a lesser of two evils when faced with questions over appetite vs impromptu vomiting.

Every muscle ached, random stabbing pain scattered all over his weak body. His headache from before was splitting his head in two, the pressure building the longer he was present in the brightly lit building. Baekhyun’s head was going to explode, ears uncomfortably clogged as if he was attempting to listen to the world through thick walls of blankets. His hot flashes were getting worse, harder to conceal. Just this morning Minseok had touched his hand and flinched at the frigid temperature...and he’s a frost sprite.

The coffee arrived and Baekhyun dreaded what would happen next.

They were all in heated conversation, the Kim couple in their own world as Junmyeon was on a phone call with someone from his office. Yixing was off in the kitchen making herbal tea, and the brunette thought that perhaps- just  _ maybe _ \- he would be able to easily get away with not touching his drink.

That was proven wishful thinking when Junmyeon nudged the small cup towards Baekhyun, all while balancing a monotone voice as he talked business. The brunette rolled his eyes, Baekhyun can and  _ will _ throw a tantrum to get his way. He wasn’t above creating a scene, the last few days seeing him becoming more irritable and irrational when it came to protecting his secret. He himself didn’t even know half of what happened that night, but he knew enough to know not to tell  _ anyone _ .

Junmyeon got off of his call just as Yixing slowly emerged from the kitchens cradling a piping cup of freshly brewed tea.

“Are you going to drink that?”

Baekhyun childishly turned up his nose, the fey’s brow ticking in annoyance.

“It’s not that much to ask for you know, just drink something goddammit. I’m not asking you to climb Mount Everest!”

Baekhyun turned to where the fey was losing patience, scrunching his nose and dismissively waving away his friend. “I don’t need to do shit for you.”

Jongdae and Minseok stopped their conversation and their table grew quiet. Junmyeon seemed shocked, mouth hanging as he regarded his human Kun with wide eyes.

“ _ Excuse _ me?”

“You heard me, I don’t have to do jack  _ shit _ for you. You aren’t my fucking mother, so stop acting like you can control me! I don’t want your fucking coffee!” Baekhyun stood up suddenly, pivoting to walk away when he ran straight into Yixing. The blonde, who was previously making his careful way over with his fresh tea, lost his grip on the fine china at the contact. The hot liquid spilled all over Baekhyun, steam rolling off his stained clothes as time seemed to stop.

Baekhyun felt no pain. He couldn’t feel the numbing burn of the tea seeping through his shirt, nor could he feel the residual dregs of liquid slipping down his bare skin under his dress shirt. Instead, he felt inexplicable anger rising until his head spun like an endless top. He had no reason to be angry, but for some reason Baekhyun had the urge to dig his nails into the bokors face and see if he could tear the skin clean off.

“Get the  _ fuck _ out of my way you glorified botanist.”

“Don’t you fucking  _ move _ Byun Baekhyun!”

The human already had one cold hand wrapped around the blondes bicep, tensed and ready to fling him out of the way. Sadly, Junmyeon was already up and looking mighty pissed. The cafe was empty save for one petite brunette sipping a cappuccino by the bar top. His ears were pointed with ink and metal dripping from the flesh, sharp canines poking his jutted bottom lip. Roots and flowers sprouted from his head in a vague crown formation, sharp eyes scrutinizing the commotion between patrons. It was the nymph Yixing had been talking about, warning them against engaging with the usually aggroed occult.

“I’m sick and tired of your mood swings, Byun, this isn’t you.” Junmyeon made a placating step forward, but Baekhyun _ growled  _ at the movement. He tightened his hold on Yixing, his empty cup long forgotten on the floor, strength nearly inhuman as the blonde whimpered in pain.

“Don’t you see yourself! I understand that this trial might be taking a toll on you, but this is too far.”

Junmyeon looked pained, as if physically restraining himself was like driving a stake through his heart. Everyone was silent, Baekhyun breathing heavily in the quiet. His lungs sometimes gave out, leaving the human to struggle for breath as if breathing in water. It was simply one of those moments where his body was seemingly giving up on him, if he didn’t leave soon he’d collapse to the floor screaming in pain.

“Look  _ Junmyeon _ , you don’t know  _ shit _ . I don’t care to waste my time listening to your flowery words. So, take it, shove it up your ass, and politely  _ fuck off _ .”

Shell shocked into disbelief, the posse was unable to comprehend what had just transpired until Baekhyun was already halfway across the cafe. Snapping out of it the quickest, Junmyeon made to go after him when a tiny hand wrapped around his forearm. Looking down, it was none other than the shifty nymph from before. His pupils took up most of his eye, vast pits of black swallowing any and all light as to not offer any reflections in the dark pools.

“Leave him be.” The hand on his arm felt like bark, scratchy and uneven, digging into his skin. It looked pale and smooth, but nymphs had a way of disguising their true inner workings. They were the oddest of the occults, many still residing in ancient forests and killed any human on site no questions asked.

His soft brown tufts of hair peaked out from crooked roots, gemstones imbedded into his neck like shiny protrusions. All in all he looked every bit an occult as he should, yet he still maintained the essence of an untamed beast belonging to an ancient forest untouched by man. One had to wonder why he was in a city instead, an ill-fitted jean jacket swamping his slim shoulders.

“You should listen to him, it wasn’t a request.”

Jaemin stood off to the side, watching the encounter with evident caution. He had a cup in one hand and a washcloth in the other, amidst drying off the item as he stared darkly at the fey whose body was still angled towards the door. Baekhyun had already left, lost to the throng of people outside.

It took a few additional seconds of Junmyeon trying to follow the bobbing head of dull brown hair before he eventually turned back to the nymph. The latter's hold was loose, but he wasn’t the type of creature to scare through brute strength. It was all in the expanding blackness of the eye, of the frequency in ticks of aggravation. He was a raw creature, that much could be found in the abundance of natural features still present on his person. Many creatures evolved to look more like humans, an adaptation merely for their own survival.

Junmyeon did the smart thing, and let him go.

————————————

Baekhyun was storming through the streets when suddenly time seemed to stop. His mood sensed the change in atmosphere, hairs standing on edge as he sneered at the unseen threat. People, humans and occults alike, were stopped mid action as if someone held up a remote and pressed the pause button. He had been in a situation like this only once before, and like hell was he going to stick around long enough to deal with more bullshit than needed.

“Fuck off Chanyeol, you aren’t slick.”

“Who said I was trying to be slick?”

The tall witch was still nowhere to be seen, a feat in itself as those on the street weren’t nearly as tall as the looming coven leader. Baekhyun huffed, rubbing his face as more violent thoughts bombarded his head and made his hands twitch.

“I’m not in the mood for games witch, so get to the fucking point and leave me be.”

“Still so feisty...”

Baekhyun turned and there in all his cobalt and Klein blue beauty, was none other than Park Chanyeol.

The witch was no longer playful, eyes hardened as he stared down coldly at the human. He was drenched in his signature blue, a long pea coat of the same color sweeping to his knees and cinched around the waist. It hurt his eyes to look at, such an obnoxious color to dye a coat.

“What are you here for? I don’t have time for your teasing today.”

“Is that saying you have time for it any other day?” The lilt was teasing, but Chanyeol didn’t smile. He was more serious today, as he usually bore no expression yet now looked almost solemn. The dreary morning had lead to a grey afternoon, dark thunderheads overcasting the sky into early twilight. The cobalt was more subdued, the wind picking up and tearing their hair from their gelled positions. Somehow, the witch ended up looking elegant standing there all regal, while Baekhyun felt his body struggle to stand still against the torrent winds.

Baekhyun felt as though he’d crumble like paper if the witch ever decided to try and crush him with his bare hands, he felt dry and brittle. The thoughts invaded his mind when he looked  _ up _ at Chanyeol, his eyes maintaining their bright glow even in the growing storm. Baekhyun had grown so thin and weak throughout the weeks, and he wondered if he could’ve stood a chance even at his peak physique. The witch was just so  _ large _ , his presence was full and suffocated a room. He was tall, built, and was fitted with a set of eyes that could kill. It truly wasn’t fair, no witch should be an ace in all categories.

At the humans prolonged silence and oscillating mood swings, Chanyeol threw out all hesitancy and caution. He’d come this far, followed the human and isolated him when he ran away from his friends. He knew his second in command, Sehun, didn’t like the direction in which the human was going. He also knew that his friend wanted nothing to do with humans and wouldn’t approve of the stupidity Chanyeol was about to embark on.

“Spit it out blue.”

Chanyeol raised an eyebrow, but nothing more. “I wanted to let you know the offer is still on the table.”

Baekhyun tilted his head, confused.

“My protection.” Chanyeol elaborated, trying time minimize his explanation because even to him the prospect sounded so stupid.

The human laughed, threw his head back and  _ laughed _ . It was a full-body, hyena, cackled, raunchous, laugh. Chanyeol didn’t have the will to be offended.

“Are you on  _ crack? _ I don’t  _ need _ you, this trial is almost over! Once you and your little friends are off to whatever fanciful prison suits your high crimes, I’ll be home free and ready to live life the jobless pleb I am.” Baekhyun wiped the tears gathered at the corners of his eyes, masking his coughing as further laughter.

“If you think that just because we go off to prison you’ll be safe, you have another thing coming. If you don’t have a coven to back you up, you’ll be free game for any vengeful witch ready to rise in the ranks.”

“Why do you care what happens to me huh?” Baekhyun got  _ real _ and started to jab his frigid finger into the witch’s broad chest. “You’re going to suffer because of my hand, why help the enemy?”

The witch raised a leather swathed hand to where the human's finger was still pressing into his chest, slowly lifting it and guiding it away. Chanyeol has to be patient with this one if he wanted to get anywhere, but he’d be lying if he said talking to a brick wall would be less frustrating.

“Because the enemy of my enemy is my friend.”

Baekhyun backed away as if burned, ogling at the coven leader as if he’d muttered some madman gibberish. “But they’re your  _ peers _ .”

“There’s a lot of things at play here Baekhyun, things you can’t understand.”

“Try me bub.”

Chanyeol sighed, this wasn’t what he had previously encountered the last time he had talked to the human. Sure, it’d been a couple weeks, but that’s not enough to have a 180-attitude spin. The Baekhyun before  _ reeked _ of fear, now this one had a stench of something  _ darker _ . His hazelnut eyes had rings of black, weighed down by dark circles the colors of plums. His lips were white and chapped, cracking at the corners when he sneered too hard.

This wasn’t normal, his aura was all wrong.

“When’s the last time you ate?”

Like a swinging pendulum, Baekhyun’s mood soured.

“Who the fuck are you to pry into  _ my _ personal life asshole.”

_ There it is! _ Chanyeol felt like he was searching for bruises to press into, jabbing random plots of skin to see where the human was hiding his hurt. He’d seen the whole encounter in the cafe from afar, stowing away in the empty kitchen where the raised voices carried easily. The human had snapped over the  _ tiniest _ detail, but  _ why _ ?

“You’re right, my sincerest apologies.”

Chanyeol watched the switch with fascination, seeing Baekhyun’s eyes visibly lightened and turning from aggression to simple mistrust.

Baekhyun mumbled something inaudibly, shrinking in on himself as an especially cold wind whisked by. The witch watched the human as he slowly peeled off one of his gloves, flexing his exposed fingers to the afternoon air. It’d be raining soon, he could feel the weight in the air, the building humidity waiting to be released.

The pads of his fingers grew warm with blue glow, rivets of hue flowing through every ridge in his fingerprints. Baekhyun was looking away, eyes distantly staring into the stale space between frozen traffic. Chanyeol observed  _ very _ carefully, almost like approaching a caged feral animal, as he lifted his bare hand to the human's unsuspecting face.

The pads of his fingers grazed the human's gaunt cheek, Baekhyun freezing with wide eyes staring with sharp clarity. He didn’t move, standing perfectly still as the witch settled his fingers more prominently. Chanyeol dragged the cobalt of his hand over his pale cheek, watching as the skin turned more sickly in the blue light. He absently traced the structure of his face, drawing across the jaw and tilting the motionless humans head towards the sky.

Black tendrils quickly scurried away from the blue light, the dark colors beneath the skin slithering under Baekhyun’s shirt where the witch could not see. He pressed firmly near the Adam’s Apple, the sensation of unseeable coils hissing away against the pressure of his fingers.

The coven leader dragged his forceful hand back up to the brunette's cheek, tapping his fingers against the prominent bone as if in thought. Baekhyun finally tilted his head towards the contact, blackish eyes clearing to stare in confusion towards Chanyeol. They seemed to ask ‘ _ what’s happening’ _ , turmoil masking the confusion in a middle of emotions.

Chanyeol couldn’t give him an answer, he’d never seen something like this. Something was  _ inside _ the human, but it wasn’t some parasite like last time. Chanyeol couldn’t sense anything, besides an underlying feeling of  _ wrongness _ , that could be detected outside the norms for an adult human male. Somehow, between their first meeting and now, the human had contracted something undetectable and absolutely terrified of Chanyeol’s powers.

The witch shifted his hand towards the human’s eyes, wanting to see the black ringlets under his light. But as he drew close, the black disks circling his iris flared and spiked as if threatened. Baekhyun hissed and swatted his hand away with more force than a human had any right to have.

Stunned, the coven leader didn’t move. Like the curious aggravator he was, he only watched as his experiment unwound before him like loose yarn in an old sweater. Baekhyun was listing off a rolodex of curses, sneering all the way long. Chanyeol got what he came for, and more. He didn’t need the human to understand right now, it’d all come into place with time.

For now, Chanyeol rewound the clock and watched as people streamed past them. Cars honked, birds chirped, and Baekhyun continued to curse. Baekhyun, in fact, was so caught up in his anger that he failed to notice that he was alone once more.


	5. Chapter 5

Baekhyun knew something was wrong as soon as he stepped into the courtroom.

The words of the cobalt witch still rang within his tired ears, but they perked up as soon as the witness neared the ornate door to the courtroom. There were loud murmurs and aggravated hushing, the human fearing the worst as per usual as a worried looking Junmyeon opened the doors.

The room didn’t silence as it usually did, in reality, everyone continued about their heated whispers as if nobody new had entered the room. Baekhyun would’ve felt almost offended on any other occasion, instead he was feeling increasingly more dreadful. Something wasn’t right,  _ nothing _ ever seemed to go right.

Chanyeol was leaned back in his chair as Yerim was arguing with Kyowon, something ordinary that Baekhyun shouldn’t have found as comforting as he did. Although, Eunjae was nowhere to be found. Junmyeon fretted over getting everyone back into their seats, pushing a gawking Jongdae over to his equally gawkish boyfriend. Baekhyun looked around, trying to find Seungyeon who had skipped out on their cafe excursion. She, too, was missing.

“Junmyeon, what’s going on?”

The fey turned to Jongdae, lips pursed. He was fiddling with a cuff link, a little powder blue bulb, but said nothing. Baekhyun learned throughout the trial that many people had tells, and fiddling with a cuff link was one of many of his fey friend’s tells. It didn’t necessarily mean he was covering something up or lying, but it did mean something was making the fey nervous. That in itself, was worrying.

“In all honestly...I don’t know...”

A sudden presence behind Baekhyun had him tensing, as if expecting the stranger to deliver a blow. When he turned around though, it was only Seungyeon. The tawny detective looked tired, and more than a little frustrated. She wore heels tall enough to look her fellow human in the eye, foregoing her usual sunglasses for court formality.

“Is everything alright Seungyeon?”

The girl looked over, eyes flashing in uncertainty. Her manicured nails were chipped at the tips, flecks of navy stuck to the sweat of her palms. She licked her lips, noticing her increasing audience as the group behind Baekhyun turned to look at the newcomer.

“No...no it’s not.”

Baekhyun was about to ask for elaboration, when Judge Choi entered the room. Except, he didn’t enter from the left side of the room where his quarters were. No, he burst from the right side door, the jury deliberation room. He took long strides with an angry gait, a vexed tick to his brow as he didn’t even bother to sit at his high seat.

The courtroom was in an awkward tug between formality in the judges presence, and confusion at the judges' annoyed entrance. Nobody knew what to do, some choosing to continue to sit in a frozen state of gossip. While others choose to stand, but even they glanced around with uncertainty.

“Sit dammit.”

_ Was this how judges were supposed to act? _

The courtroom was bathed in thick tension, Junmyeon having to reach up and yank Baekhyun to sit as the human was simply staring at the caladrius. The jury was still absent from the room, the empty box a chilling sight.

“I don’t want to do this, in fact, I’m pissed I have to do this. But, I’m filing for a mistrial. A new trial date has been set for before years end, approximately two months from now. Court is adjourned.”

The echo of the gavel felt like finality, the whole room processing in their state of shock. Baekhyun felt his jaw drop, of all court terms, a mistrial was one of the few he knew. Somehow, someway,  _ some _ thing had happened behind the scenes to cause their trial to compromise. It had to be a pretty big fucking deal if one of the biggest trials of the century was being out on hold for an additional  _ two months _ .

Baekhyun looked accusingly towards the defense table, not at all expecting the shocked faces of two of the Covens Three and their lawyer. In fact, the witches were exchanging looks of utter surprise and disbelief, Yerim confusedly still holding onto her new defense draft.

It still hadn’t hit Baekhyun what this decree meant, Junmyeon standing forcefully as the judge started to walk away.

“What do you mean there’s been a mistrial?”

Judge Choi straightened out his robes, looking a mixture between bored and agitated. His fairy had at some point snuck into the courtroom, the golden shimmer of his skin reflecting light in the most inhuman way where he hid next to the security guard.

“There was a discovery of prejudice in the jury, we could not legally continue the trial with this type of behavior.”

“So...” Baekhyun snapped his head towards the silver witch, his stoic face portraying his ambivalence. “The trials over? Are we just...supposed to go home or something?”

The judge shrugged. “It’s none of my business what you do, and for now, yes. The trial is over.”

A barrage of questions were suddenly being shouted from both sides, the caladrius flinching back at the bombardment. It was then, that Baekhyun finally understood.

He was a dead man walking.

Eunjae was suddenly there, his dark green eyes finding his own amidst the chaos of the courtroom. He smiled slowly, revealing his two straight rows of pearly white teeth. The dread coiled tighter, terror flooding his senses into overdrive. A sliver of memory pushed to the forefront of his mind, one of a dead eyed human with his handsome face and eerie ambiance. He had a pin on his jacket's lapel, the words had been too faint to see from Baekhyun’s distance, but the design finally clicked.

Baekhyun unsteadily stood, stumbling forward in a trance where the judge had descended onto the court floor. He struggled to open the latch to the gate, but after getting his violently shaking hands to cooperate, Baekhyun staggered forward.

The judge didn’t see the human until he was grabbing onto his robes with a madness in his eyes, staring up at the occult in a visceral desperation. He simply stared down at the witness, detached as he felt Baekhyun claw at him as he struggled to stand on his own two feet.

No matter how hard Baekhyun gripped the robes, his hands wouldn’t stop shaking.

“You can’t do this.” He rasped, never looking and feeling more like death. “They’ll kill me.”

Baekhyun had shared all that he knew and more, he had put one of the Covens Three on blast with every breath of confidence he had. Baekhyun revealed all his cards, threw down his trump card believing he had the winning set. Only now, he realized, he wasn’t the one with the highest set of cards. Someone else had been hiding a royal flush all this time, when he only had a straight flush.

“Please, you have to understand-“

“There’s nothing I can do.”

Baekhyun was on the verge of panic, he could feel his control slipping as his composure crumbled. Life had once been so bright, and now it had all been blown to smithereens with nothing but napalm skies to show what his world had been reduced to. His shaking was worsening, he couldn’t stand for much longer.

“You  _ can’t _ do this to me, they will  _ kill _ me!”

“I’m sorry-“

“If you were  _ fucking sorry _ , we wouldn’t be dancing this fucking tango!”

Baekhyun brought the taller man down to his level, breath ghosting the emotionless caladrius’ face with each seething breath. He was losing it, it was getting harder to breath. A pressure was building in his chest, his vision creeping black at the edges. Something was trying to grasp at his reins of control, and it wasn’t the panic.

“A juror was wearing a ‘proud to stake them’ pin with a fire raging in the background, he wasn’t trying to hide his opinions on the defendants. He was aggressively trying to impose his beliefs on others, filing a mistrial is the only proper step to take in my position.”

“You can take your  _ fucking _ legality and shove it up your  _ ass! _ As soon as I step out of this  _ fucking courtroom _ , I’m as good as dead!” Baekhyun was shaking the judge, only succeeding in moving the statue of a man a few inches. He was screaming, uncaring of who was watching. It was all true, and they  _ knew it _ . The tears were coming, and soon Baekhyun was going to be a hysterically crying heap on the floor.

“There’s nothing I can do, it’s just luck of the draw. For what it’s worth, I’m sorry.”

Baekhyun wanted to laugh, Baekhyun wanted to cry. The man was apologizing as if this were a mild inconvenience, as if someone’s life wasn’t on the line. To Baekhyun, his apology wasn’t worth a damn thing except as a sharp slap to the face.

The human was gearing up for another shouting match, when the security guard from earlier peeled him away from Judge Choi. The latter dusted off his wrinkled robes, truly and entirely unbothered by the whole ordeal. Baekhyun was going to scream.

“You f _ ucker! _ You’ll be the reason for this trial's downfall, you’ll have consciously let a man die and for what?! So you can bend over and get fucked by some  _ rules! _ ”

“Baekhyun that enough-“

“Fuck you Junmyeon! You aren’t the one dying here!”

“You need to calm-“

Baekhyun took both his hands shoved as hard as he could into the fey's chest, tears blurring his vision. All he heard was the crash and splintering of wood before his whole world swirled into an ugly vat of colors. His vision flipping and twirling, Baekhyun didn’t hold back his vomit when his body touched back down. He was outside the courtroom in the grand hallway, stomach acid burning through his throat as it slimed its way out of his parted mouth.

A man he had never seen before was looking down at him in concern, black hair swept stylishly back with eyes far too kind for such a situation. Soon though, he was replaced with bright blue eyes and equally vibrant hair. Chanyeol looked disturbed as he saw the empty contents of the humans stomach burn their way to the surface. There was a loud banging and a grunt, Sehun holding the courtroom doors shut with his hands extended out. Shifting ribbons of liquid metal were weaving themselves across the ornate double doors, forces on the other side attempting to break through.

“Hurry up Chanyeol. I can’t hold this for long.”

He sounded pained, but Baekhyun only cared about his own agony. Something was grabbing at his numbing muscles, the world losing color. He couldn’t hold his head up any longer, swaying on his feet before collapsing. His ears rung, voices muffled through the increasing white noise. The human could only see the bright ebbing color of cobalt eyes and silver hair, a brazen blob taking form in the shifting soul of a third witch.

Someone was holding him up, readjusting his body like dead weight. Being jostled allowed him to see the world around him shift into darker shades, as if looking through a back and white filter that fuzzed at the edges. He was still on the floor, knees knocking into something hard as a hand held his lolling head.

“Baek- need to- listen to- what did you see- Baekhyun listen- what happened?”

The human was so damn tired, struggling internally against some unknown force that he had no idea what it wanted from him. He tried to close his eyes but the hands shook his rattled head, pulling out a pained groan.

“You need to- tell me what happened.”

Chanyeol was getting frustrated at the lack of responses from the human, the pressure of Sehun yelling at him to hurry also didn’t help. He shook the male near violently, a soothing hand to his shoulder getting him to stop.

“Chanyeol, I don’t think shaking him is going to get anything through to him.”

The witch sighed loudly, aggressively tapping the side of the barely lucid males face. Jongin, a witch specialized in the art of teleportation with the shiniest hair and the dimmest bronze eyes, simply gazed at him with a small smile. “But we do need to hurry this along.”

“I’m  _ trying _ .” Just then, a feral snarl penetrated through the double doors and they shook with the force of a creature ramming against them. Sehun stumbled back, the shimmering metal wavering and some falling into pools on the ground. Jongin suddenly disappeared, only to flash back in a poof of sandy smoke.

“The fey is  _ very _ pissed, we need to move  _ now _ .”

“We can’t do anything until we know what’s causing his condition, moving him could aggravate whatever’s in him.”

“Well then hurry  _ up _ .” The door shuddered again, dust springing from the ceiling and powdering them like snowflakes. Sehun was gritting his teeth, fey could get very aggressive,  _ very _ quick.

“Baekhyun, you need to tell me when this all started happening. When did you start to feel sick?”

Baekhyun’s eyes rolled back, Chanyeol chucking his head forward and jerking him back to the present. He blinked lazily, trying to focus on the face in front of him.

“I was...at home...”

“Okay, what happened at home?”

“Thing...thing came from a box...” Chanyeol lovingly pat his face, staring more intensely as if that could keep the human focused. He channeled some light into the palms of his hand to ward off the darkness under the brunette’s translucent skin, using the temporary solution to get him to  _ focus _ .

“What  _ thing _ came from a box?”

“It was...pointy...pointy and dark.”

“Okay, we're getting somewhere. Did this creature have spikes protruding from the skin? Was it navy or pitch black?”

“Jongin- fuck- I need your help  _ now! _ ”

The bronze witch teleported away, the snarling inside the courtroom cutting off suddenly soon after. Jongin came back a few seconds later looking stressed and terrified. “He won’t be gone for long, that human is a bonded kin. We have five minutes tops before he finds his way back to him.”

“‘M tired.”

Chanyeol’s whole hand was consumed in blue, both wrapping around his neck to hopefully cut off the ‘infection’ long enough to get a straight answer. He used his thumbs to press against the underside of Baekhyun’s jaw, angling him to continue looking him in the eye.

“Did this thing have spikes on its skin? Was it navy or black?”

“No no no...no spikes, just pointy.”

“What the fuck does that mean?!”

Jongin paced behind the increasingly frustrated coven leader, rubbing his chin with agitation as he looked repeatedly towards the end of the corridor. He could sense a growing presence coming in speedily from across the city. Feys were known to tear apart buildings brick by brick for their kin, and while Jongin had never met the rare creature, he knew not to piss off a mother hen by stealing her chicks.

“ _ Chanyeol _ -“

“I know!” The witch shouted at his companion, pressing his face closer to the human's fidgeting eyes. “What color was it?”

“Black...shadowy...it smelled so  _ bad _ .”

Chanyeol perked up at that. “It had a smell?”

Baekhyun nodded lethargically, thinking back to his encounter with the hideous creature that began this whole mess. “It smelled like  _ death _ .”

Jongin stopped pacing then, they had less than a minute now. He could go back and try to grab onto the rampaging fey and teleport him away again, but he wouldn’t dare risk using the same trick twice. The witch knew the fey would sooner maul him in the middle of the city with the whole world as their audience before he let rational mind take over his inherent instincts.

“When you say pointy, do you mean his appendages were? Like, were his arms and legs a tapered point?”

“You aren’t suggesting-“

“Shut up Sehun.”

Baekhyun nodded his head as if it was weighted with lead. Chanyeol felt his heart sink, it couldn’t be. What the human was suggesting was  _ impossible _ . If it were to be true, then the brunette would have long since been nothing but a husk of dried skin and brittle bone.

“Did it have a hanging jaw, lots of razor-sharp teeth, a strange shortened arm with three little tentacle-like appendages sprouting from the stump-like limp?”

Baekhyun perked up, if only for a second, to nod as vigorously as his condition would allow. His limbs weighed more and more with each passing second, an odd film slipping over his eye until there were at least fifty Chanyeols staring back at him. His skin was losing more color, translucent enough to show every stretching vein and creeping black fighting against the invasive blue glow.

“That’s exactly what it looked like...” He tapered off his thought as a lumpy sensation pushed its way up his throat. He pushed the witch away and retched off to the side. The pool was blood, uneven, half coagulated blood.

There were curses, more slamming against the door. Baekhyun felt a wall of nausea slam into him, retching up more and more blood until he felt like he was bleeding from the mouth. His lips were tinted a dark red, the smoother parts of the liquid slipping in one large channel down his chin. He hacked as he tried to breath through the onslaught of vomit, choking on his own blood with tears mixing in the dark pools by his knees.

“-he should be dead by now.”

“Can’t you see- dying- now.”

Arms wrapped around his torso, pulling his light body off the ground like a bag of feathers. His knees instantly curled into his body, hugging the arms to his chest as he pressed his head into his thin thighs. Blood smeared across his dark slacks, his suit jacket long since lost.

He opened his eyes long enough to see the silver witch being left behind as Chanyeol and his bronze friend ran down the opulent corridor. Hanging chandeliers swung in grand circles and the murals smeared across some of the higher walls seemed to giggle and wink at him. Baekhyun wished he could say hi, but gravity was a crushing weight as he simultaneously felt like he was floating.

“Did you call Yuta?”

“He said he was on his way.”

“Go check on him.”

The bronze witch was gone again, Baekhyun reaching out his spindled fingers towards where small sandy particles were suspended in air. Chanyeol would’ve given the hallucinating human an odd look, but he could feel the shift of power in the air. The fey was angry, and he was almost here. It was going to be a close call.

Chanyeol stopped his sprint short of the courthouse doors, manhandling Baekhyun so he was bridal style across his arms. It caused him a groan of discomfort from the dying male in his arms as he tried to close in on himself again.

The courthouse doors opened without Chanyeol having touched them, a man with white hair peeked through. It took one look at the human in the covens leaders arms for the man to step back with the door handle in hand.

“Took you long enough Zitao.”

“You know I’m not one to stay on this plane of existence Chanyeol.”

The press outside were all frozen, as well as everyone within a five mile radius. Chanyeol could freeze on a smaller scale, long enough to get what he needed done. But Zitao was a special witch who was born with the gift of time, and honed it by the age of eighteen. He pledged no allegiance to anyone but himself, a ‘freelancer’ as he liked to call himself. You could only contact him in dire situations, as it was  _ notoriously _ hard to talk to a time traveler.

Not even a second later, his black Rolls Royce Phantom came rounding the corner at top speed. It screeched to a halt with half the vehicle on the curb. Chanyeol ran down the steps three at a time, the time traveller only a few strides behind him. When they were within range, the back seat door swung open with Jongin already in the back, motioning impatiently to hand the human over.

“You know what to do.” Chanyeol whispered to Zitao, the latter nodding his assent. The coven leader gingerly handed over the nearly unconscious Baekhyun and crawled into the back seat. No sooner did he slam the door shut was he met with a warning glimmer from his reptilian drivers golden irises.

He looked behind him to see the dreaded fey rounding the corner, his monochromatic eyes alight with murderous rage. He shoved past frozen people on the street with dark grey skin and extended rows of teeth glaring in the dreary light. A faint sprinkle of rain began to thrum against the Phantom, the lanky form of Zitao stepping between the fey and the car.

“Hit it.”

Yuta didn’t need to be told twice, his reckless nature driving him to put all the force of his foot straight onto the accelerator. The car went screeching forward, leaving the time traveller to face the rampaging fey alone. Even Chanyeol knew a powerful witch such as Zitao couldn’t hold him for long.

Jongin began to unbutton the first few notches of the human’s dress shirt, wincing at the dense web of black tendrils woven across his chest. The overlapping strands pulsed as they were exposed to the dim light, the rain coming down harder the longer they drove. “Jongin, do you have enough energy for another port?”

The witch, previously looking uncertain, glanced up at his coven leader with determination blatant on his face. “I do.”

“Then go to the Scraper, grab Sehun and get ready.” Chanyeol took off his suit jacket and rolled up the crisp, white sleeves of his shirt to his elbows. “We’ll need everything we can get our hands on if we can even  _ hope _ to save him.”

Jongin nodded, face setting to stone as he teleported out of the car without another word. Baekhyun’s head gently thumped to the leather seat below as his head was absent of his previous pillow. The car swerved in and out of the lanes, the reptilian driving like a mad man straight out of hell around frozen cars and unaware people in the middle of crossing the street.

Chanyeol summoned a small allowance incantation, just in case the wards rejected the human presence. He drew the proper runes within the air, glittery strands of blue suspended above the feverish brunette, before condensing the finished spell and shoving the ball of magic into Baekhyun’s chest. The spell didn’t want to take, something within the human vehemently rejecting the foreign magic.

“Upcoming wards master.”

_ Shit _ . The spell was simple enough, it was reclusive and left many of its recipients without magic fever or any side effects. The magic simmered on top of the skin, skirting over the web of black like an impermeable net.  _ It should work _ .

“Wards in t-minus 10 seconds master.”

Chanyeol could see the thin veil of magic concealing the Witchin District, it distorted its background ever so slightly, only enough for an well-versed occult to notice. He held the flickering ball of light in his hand, attempting to shove it into any place that would give. But nothing seemed to work.

“T-minus five seconds until wards.”

Chanyeol had absolutely no idea how anybody other than a witch could get into their district without assistance, he didn’t know if what Baekhyun did was a fluke or a flaw in their system. But he found himself hoping that the human was enough. That somehow, all of this mayhem wouldn’t come to a stop because of mere security measures.

The wards washed over the car without much more warning, the black Phantom piercing through the veil with ease. Chanyeol threw himself over the human and held him close to his chest, squeezing his eyes shut and hoping, hoping for so much more than just a pass through the wards. Yuta’s golden eyes grew impossibly bright at the presence of magic passing through his body, his scales toiling over his flesh like a tidal wave as he passed through.

Chanyeol felt the cool pass of protective magic like a brush of wind. He wouldn’t have felt it if he hadn’t been looking for it, the allowance incantation disintegrating as soon as it’s pure form hit the wards. Baekhyun’s eyes snapped open, alert for the first time as they both passed trouble free through the wards.

They were in the Witchin District.

Now came the hard part.

The roads were visibly thinner, more unkempt, and empty. Not many witches had use for cars outside high ranking coven members, and many younger witches liked to test their nature magic on the roads and sidewalks as there weren't many other places to do so. Chanyeol was sure they’d be going faster in this area if his reptilian driver hadn’t already been going top speed, it was honestly a bit scary to see how good (if not dangerous) of a driver Yuta was.

Whipping around corners and speeding down the straights, the Scraper was a building nobody could miss. It had a sharp point protruding from its flattened roof, erected from concrete and strengthened glass. It was blinding in broad daylight, and menacing in thunderstorms. It was tall enough to reach the clouds, and sleek in its modern design. It stood in the middle of the district, the tallest of three giant skyscrapers.

It hurt even Chanyeol to try and stare up towards the cloudy top, but as they grew closer, he did just that.

“How much longer until we’re home?”

“A little less than five minutes...but I can make it two.”

Chanyeol raised an eyebrow as he situated Baekhyun against his chest, sitting him up and holding him tighter as the turns became more jolting. He held out his free arm to grab onto one of the headrests, shoulder slamming into the passenger seat in front of him.

“How could we  _ possibly _ go any faster.”

The reptile gave a smile fitting for the creature he is, grinning until every triangular pearly tooth was on display. His purple, forked tongue flicked out, sensing the air. He pulled the glove off his right hand and held the leather gingerly in his maw, every scaly finger tipped off with a long and curved claw. He reached towards the glove box, opening the latch and reaching inside. Chanyeol watched with mounting anxiety as Yuta looked away from the road to search around in the small compartment, his gloved left hand absently steering the curving roads.

There was a mechanical  _ click _ as he shoved one of his curved nails into a hidden lock, a small joystick popping out of where the radio once was. There was a small screen beneath the black joystick, Chanyeol vaguely recognizing the thin black lines to be roads within the district. Yuta dragged his nail along a set of small roads, connecting a blue dot to a red dot near the middle of the map. All this while not looking at the road.

“Buckle up and hold on tight, I’ve been wanting to test this out with passengers.”

“You mean you haven’t?! I’m your boss!”

Yuta let out a hiss like a laugh, grabbing onto the joystick and spinning it right until it clicked. Pulling it out, the reptile quickly shoved the joystick back in and the car lit up in electric blue. Chanyeol should have taken the man more seriously when he said to hold on.

Instinctively, the witch’s magic formed a protective bubble as soon as the car went speeds beyond physically possible. Yuta was gripping the wheel as it turned manically, cackling as the car went at speeds challenging that of rockets. They were zooming across the empty streets, nearly annihilating a black sedan that was humbling along. Chanyeol would have screamed, but it was over before he could.

His bubble protected him and the human from the whiplash of the car's sudden stop, but the reptilian driver wasn’t as lucky, smashing his head into the wheel. But in typical Yuta fashion, the man just sat back up and began to laugh like the madman he was.

“I don’t know why I let you drive anywhere.”

The car was parked right outside the Scraper, the rain having escalated to a grey downpour. Chanyeol grabbed his suit jacket and threw it over to a still laughing Yuta. “I need you to put this over the human when I step outside.”

The witch aggressively popped open the car door, the rain instantly drenching the first few inches of his leather interior. Scooping up the remainder of the unresponsive human, Chanyeol slipped outside and let the rain wash over his frame. Yuta threw the jacket over Baekhyun without a second to spare, climbing back into the Phantom to go and have it parked.

As soon as Chanyeol stepped up to the glass doors of the Scrapers lobby, Sehun was wrenching open the door and shooing him inside.

“Jongin is already in the Pits, he’s getting the tub ready for phase two.”

Chanyeol nodded along, whipping his head to the sparsely populated lobby.

“Sicheng, get everyone out. Evacuate to the upper floors and lock down any and all entries inside.”

The honey blonde looked up from where he was emotionlessly typing away at the receptions desk, slitted eyes blinking vertically before reaching down to his telephone. Seconds later his soft, monotonous voice was filtering through the entire building, just the receiver of the telephone held delicately up to his frowning lips.

“We have a code green, I repeat code green. Please evacuate to the upper thirty floors. Do not panic, avoid the elevators, and proceed with caution.”

The audio clicked off and the receptionist looked towards the coven leader for further instructions. Everyone in the lobby had already filed to the elevators, as they weren’t about to walk up dozens of flights of stairs. The foreign male was all that remained, reaching up to the key hidden around his neck and beneath his scales.

“Do it.”

Sehun vaulted over the desk, careful to avoid the lengthy tail that was coiled precariously out of sight. There was a large rattle on top of the pile, flickering in warning when the witch nearly trampled it when he lost balance. Sicheng carefully pulled the key out from a set of his neck scales, the shiny gold covered in a layer of slime. The end of his thick tail rose to slither under the black granite of his desk, dislodging it and pushing the heavy slab to the side. Beneath lay their secret security measures, the gorgon inserting the slimy key and twisting.

Sehun and Chanyeol entered the old fashioned elevator hidden behind the reception desk, sliding the golden scissor gate in place and pressing one of two buttons in the lift. Down.

As the elevator closed, thick metal doors began to slide over the lobbies windows. Red sirens began blaring, elevators were shut down, and a lady’s robotic voice began to drone out repetitive instructions. The last thing they saw was the gorgon flicking away at the hidden electric boards switches, his face severe and eyes bleeding white.

He was their first line of defense.

“Do you think Yuta made it in here on time?” Sehun asked, nervously staring ahead as the seconds ticked by. They only went deeper.

Chanyeol readjusted the too-thin man in his arms “You know how he is with the gorgon, there’s no way he’s going to let him be alone.”

“But Sicheng can defend himself perfectly fine on his own, you remember how we found him?”

“How could I forget...”

The conversation died off after that, tension stifling the small space of the elevator. The smeared blood trailing down Baekhyun’s chin had started to dry, the black trails advancing up his throat and wrapping around the jutted curve of his jaw. His dark circles stood out against his pasty and transparent skin, as well as his darker-than-blood stained lips. His hair had lost all life to it, but hadn’t yet reached the point of falling out of his head.

After an eternity, the lift started to slow and screech to a halt. The witches yanked the scissor gate open as the doors soundlessly slid open, a knell sounding at their arrival. It was a mournful sound, ringing down the dingy concrete halls longer than it should’ve been allowed. This deep down there was no such thing as white noise, no buzzing insects, billowing wind, or whirring of technology. As soon as the elevator went to return to ground level, all sound ceased. As well as light.

A luminous glow poured from Sehun’s hands as a mysterious downdraft swept past the trio with lingering giggles. Obsolete swinging light bulbs were spaced evenly throughout the endless maze of concrete corridors, but there was never electricity strung to them. Sehun drew his light into a ball and flung it up to the nearest light, sparking the bulb into use. It gave an amber, dingy glow to the already ominous hallway.

The duo began to quickly pace their way down the corridor, the single light following after them when they went too far from the last swinging bulb. “Sehun, go find Jongin and  _ make sure _ that the tub is ready for him by the time I’m done.”

“On it boss.”

Sehun separated at the next converging passageway, his tiny light following after him into the pungent darkness. Chanyeol welcomed the shadows as they swallowed him slowly, the light diminishing until he began to walk opposite of his friend in the pitch black. His sigil slowly began to glow alongside his eyes, an occult thing but was much worse with witches. He walked further still. Soon every smoothed surface was bathed in a harsh blue glow, iron doors beginning to sprout from the cold concrete.

It was then that he could hear something, an aggressive, fast paced beat that thumbed harshly against his ears. It was even like a drum, nearly as fast as a hummingbird’s wings. Chanyeol realized it was his heartbeat, and with every passing second the growing feeling of dread worsened. His footsteps were leaden, each step harder and harder to accomplish. Being so deep down in the earth made the hidden maze beneath the Scraper cold, but the lingering magic from rituals past kept the icebox glacial.

His breaths become visible as they neared the Room, small puffs of white clouding his vision. Baekhyun stirred in his arms, shivering harshly through his thin skin. Chanyeol still had strands of his hair drenched from the barrage outside, the lone drips of the residual water falling from his cobalt strands and hitting the ground with a  _ clink _ . They turned to ice before they hit the ground.

Baekhyun opened his eyes as they neared the end of the corridor, shivering with a sheen of sweat coating his skin. He began to whimper in pain, shaking uncontrollably in the witch’s arms.

“W-What’s happen-happening t-to m-me...”

“Black magic.”

Chanyeol stopped in front of an iron door with deep scratches and scorch marks poking it’s dented surface. It was tarnished and hard on the eyes, as well as the last door in the concrete hallway. Baekhyun started to silently cry, bones aching as if someone were slowly crushing each individual one. He was cold on the outside, but felt like a wildfire on the inside, head all fuzzy. He was floating with chains linking him to the floor so far below, to  _ reality _ .

“Chanyeol...” The human reached blindly for the only soul within the dark confines of this dark place, the source of his light and dying hope. “P-Please...h-h-help m-me...”

He feebly grabbed at the witch’s bicep, breath stolen away as a wave of chills raked down his spine, dragging their talons over each and every nerve. The discomfort grew, causing Baekhyun to squirm to try and relieve the growing pressure pushing  _ out _ while his skin felt like it was shriveling  _ in _ .

“H-Help...”

“Everything’s going to be fine. You just have to  _ trust _ me.”

Chanyeol wasn’t sure if he even trusted  _ himself _ . But he wasn’t about to tell the dying human that. He waited until he had Baekhyun’s consent, left hand twitching to open the marked up door. The human rolled beneath the coven leaders’ jacket, nodding vigorously as he began to hack up more blood, unable to voice what he desperately wanted to scream.

_ Just save me _ .

The witch needed no more confirmation. Using the hand supporting the humans back, he reached out and twisted the specialty lock with nothing more than his mind. He could sense the gears and twisted each to allow a minuscule opening to form, pulling apart tiny latches and finally yanking the industrial door open.

The metal clanged loudly against the wall, ricocheting and shaking on its sturdy hinges. Chanyeol stepped in and quickly set to work, feeling the sands of the human’s hourglass slipping through his deft fingers. He delicately laid Baekhyun off to the side, the latter grappling onto the suit jacket for dear life.

Conjuring a small bag, Chanyeol dumped out its contents near the center of the dingy room. Useless white candles clattered to the discolored floor, a wooden container of white paste thumping down with the haunting sound of an athame’s metal blade ringing loudest of them all. Unscrewing the lid, Chanyeol unceremoniously scooped the paste into his hand and began to smear symbols onto the floor. Runes, incantations, spells, even a line of hexes.

Baekhyun curled in on himself, mouth unconsciously parted to let blood drool out to pool by his head. It was no longer a healthy shade of crimson, but an oily black with the faintest hints of a red undertone.

Chanyeol had never drawn a ritual circle as complex as this one in such a short amount of time, the knees of his slacks dirtied with leftover grime on the floor. He slid across the ground as he worked, dragging his legs over rough patches in the concrete without complaint. Sweat was beading and rolling down his hairline, soaking with rainwater in his fringe. The witch swept a paste covered hand through his cobalt hair, pushing it back and streaking it with stiffening white.

Baekhyun managed to settle himself on his knees, opening his mouth wide and letting a chunk of  _ something _ hack out of his esophagus and roll off his tongue to splat on the floor. He wondered if he needed whatever that was.

“ _ Shit _ .” A warbled voice coerced through his stuffy ears, the contact of another being physically  _ hurting _ Baekhyun to the point of yelping pitifully through his mouthful of bloody bile.

Chanyeol retracted his hands, ogling at the chunk of flesh that the human had just regurgitated. Time was running out faster than he’d like, Baekhyun’s condition getting exponentially worse.

Reaching for the athame, he didn’t even blink as he dragged the sharpened tip of the blade across his left palm. Blood, vibrant and red, welled at the wound. Cradling the bleeding wound, Chanyeol turned it over and began to write the innermost runes of the ritual circle. He smeared his own occultist blood with his sigils ichor, the substance shimmering like a layer of fine glitter was dusted over it.

Baekhyun was shuddering in pain, whimpering and shaking out his arm feebly. He absently thought that death would be more welcomed than this pain, to have mercy and end his suffering. He never knew pain this intense, didn’t know how his body could handle this type of agony. Didn’t know when it’d be too much.

Chanyeol ripped the small pouch he’d conjure into strips, tearing the fabric with his teeth. He layered the strips and wrapped them around his still bleeding palm. He couldn’t bear the risk of using healing magic with the stunt he was about to pull, that kind of magic was already taxing enough as is.

The coven leader sprung back up, vaguely wondering if his fellow witches had finished their end of the bargain, and grabbed the lid of the room's stocked pile of salt. It was in a five gallon, white construction bucket. Chanyeol loathed the stinging pain as he dunked both hands into the bucket and scooped out as much salt as possible, his left palm screaming in pain as salt lodged itself under his makeshift gauze.

Pacing back to the ritual, he flung the salt over the paste and blood, all the connecting lines bleeding black at the contact. A hiss sounded where the salt burned into the runes, melting and bubbling to solidify the circle. Chanyeol shook the loose salt from his hands and strode over to Baekhyun, hooking his arms under his armpits and dragging the human’s limp body to the middle of the bloodied runes.

Settling the brunette on the ground, the witch slapped the former as  _ lovingly _ as possibly. When that didn’t work, Chanyeol gripped the hallows of his cheeks and shook. He stared severely at the human’s rapid eye movements when he did manage to open his eyes, never staying on one area for long before flickering away.

“Baekhyun, do you still trust me?”

His eyes stilled, snapping to where the coven leader still had his face held firmly in his grasp. Chanyeol retracted his salty, paste covered hand.

“Yes.” He whispered, voice gravelly and scratchy. “Just...m-make it...s-stop.”

Chanyeol nodded, offering a vapid smile. He grabbed one of the humans thin, brittle arms, stretching it straight and using his wounded hand to scrawl an incantation into the air. There was a flash of cobalt and bright white light, before the sound of clattering metal sounded near Baekhyun’s head. Four u-shaped metal bands, the design akin to horseshoes only thicker, were steaming by his hand.

Baekhyun didn’t have time to ask before Chanyeol positioned the first u-band over his wrist, azure colored electricity in the shape of a hammer held within his grasp as he began to hit the band into place. Baekhyun had no energy to ask, tiny specks of chipped concrete splattering against his face, a joke in comparison to the new wave of red-hot pain overtaking his body.

Just as the witch managed to secure the first u-band, the metal hammered deep into the concrete to keep the humans arm down and pinned straight, Baekhyun began to scream. He was screeching for it all to stop, for some lord to save him, his pleas becoming more nonsensical as he thrashed his pinned arm in panic. Chanyeol grabbed his other arm before he could begin throwing punches, pressing his knee lightly into the forearm so as to not snap the weakened bones.

Setting off to secure the human down, the witch dreaded the legs as Baekhyun was throwing kicks as if he were about to be thrown off a cliff. He believed this was what it was like when farmers wrestled pigs, or is it hogs? Laying himself over both legs, it took precious time and effort to get the ankles secured under the u-bands. Just then, a gruesome shock shook dust from the ceiling.

Tremors sent the lone light bulbs swinging, shaking the doors to a rattle, and throwing Chanyeol off balance. He stayed low to ride out the shocks, wondering what kind of hellish force could send such powerful tremors so deep below ground.

Baekhyun groaned, pulling at his restrained limbs. He could no longer curl in on his abdomen, what Chanyeol assumed to be his largest source of agony, causing him to whine in growing distress. The coven leader crawled over to where the human was thumping his head aggressively against the concrete floor, tears streaming down his face and mixing with the blood drooling out of the seams of his lips.

Chanyeol gently pried open his lips and drew out the pooling crimson, his fingers guiding the hovering rivers of red to the side so Baekhyun could stop panicking and breath. He combed back his sweat soaked brunette hair, feeling clumps of hair stick to the white paste of his hands.

He lowered his forehead to Baekhyun’s, pouring the most earnest emotion into his thick words. “I’m sorry.”

His sigil pulsed comfortingly, soothing the hysteric human for a brief second. Then, he began chanting.

Baekhyun felt his eyes widen near painfully, recognizing the foreign tongue even through his feverish haze. It was that horrid language that Eunjae’s underlings had used the night of the incident to summon the shadowy blade. His body instantly rejected it, spine bowing in an attempt to throw the much larger, much heavier witch off of him. He began to thrash, ears growing warm with blood as the coven leaders cursed words were spoken right into his ear.

Baekhyun began to scream again, the pain in his abdomen tightening and pushing invasively against his organs. The foreign tongue was pulling at something in his chest, an angry growling rumbling through his head until the words were drowned out by the angered beast. He didn’t think the pain could possibly get worse, but he was proved wrong as every bone in his body broke and healed themselves over again in a sick cycle of torture.

The runes beneath the duo began to emit a shadowy smolder, sucking at the light within the room that came from the coven leaders sigil. Hot whispers filled the room, vexed at the disturbance. Chanyeol continued to chant in that damned language, clunky and searing syllables burning the side of the human’s head. All Baekhyun could do was scream and cry, too broken to try and spew out pleas. He resisted whatever was probing at him, shaking his head and squirming where he was restrained.

This clearly wasn’t okay, as Chanyeol spoke more aggressively and harshly, one hand holding onto his jaw and keeping the side of his face pressed into the ground. The left hand was on one the bloodied runes, the slowed bleeding still dripping and smearing onto the aggravated rune. The whole circle emitted brighter, as bright as darkness could be.

Something hot dripped onto his face, that much Baekhyun could tell as his eyes were screwed tight in pain that paralyzed his body. He could only flutter them open for a second, enough to see the pitch black eyes of the witch staring down at him with ebony liquid leaking from his lips. That was something that hadn’t happened with Eunjae.

The forces washing over his body were finally too much to take, the invasion quick to overwhelm and pull at his innards. His veins froze over, tension pulling his body taut like a bowstring. Chanyeol pushed him down with his knee, face drawn to an emotionless mask. Baekhyun was suddenly terrified, not only of losing his life or the immeasurable pain, but of  _ Chanyeol _ . He should have known better, his mother taught him to never trust three things. Strangers, the government, and witches.

Blue light bled into his skin as Chanyeol pushed his hand harder against the human’s face, chanting on the crescendo in volume. As it did, the pain grew  _ worse _ . It pulled at his skin and tore at the muscle, broke the bones and slashed at his organs. Forces were pulling at his abdomen, trying to drag something to the surface that didn’t want to be found.

Baekhyun screamed like he never had in his life, sure to rupture his vocal cords as that  _ thing _ finally broke loose.

Chanyeol chanted as he changed his gaze from the sobbing and screaming human, to the shifting skin beneath his dress shirt. The witch released his hold on Baekhyun and tore open his shirt, still yelling his incantation to drag the creature fully to the surface. It would be ripe soon.

It didn’t take long before a set of three lumpy digits were pressing against the thin sheet of skin between them and the witch, dragging their frayed edges like an animal scratching at the confinement of their cage. Soon after, a sharp point joined its lumpy brethren. The spike pressed the flesh up until it turned white with the stretch, a chorus of misshapen designs cramming into the small space of the human’s abdomen.

The creature was ripe for the picking.

Warning, graphic next few paragraphs.

Reaching over to the abandoned athame, Chanyeol lifted it to his lips and spread the black liquid pooling in his mouth over the blade. His tongue spread it evenly, the witch spitting out the rest of the acrid substance and raising the blade above his head. He mentally sent his apologies to the human, he truly didn’t know what he signed up for.

With one last shout of his chant, he plunged the blade into Baekhyun’s stomach, the latter's screams sending chills down his spine. The witch proceeded to slice a wide cut over the abdomen, a gurgling wheeze whistling out of the wound as blood began to gush to the dirty concrete floor below. A single, dark crimson spike quickly protruded from the gash in an attempt to stab the witch. Chanyeol blocked it with the athame.

The coven leader reached into the bleeding wound, one hand pushing back the flesh of the abdomen to reach deeper into the brunette. Baekhyun was shaking, deep into shock as his eyes rolled to the back of his head. He couldn’t mentally comprehend what was happening, only a flatline for his thoughts. His ears rang and blood choked his esophagus, the room spinning as his body was in the middle of a fight between witch and monster.

Chanyeol reached his second hand into the laceration, straining the width of the wound in an attempt to grapple the slippery demon. He was elbow deep, attempting to restrain the jaw on the creature and drag it out by the neck. It was in a more vulnerable state when living in its host, much smaller, practically the magnitude of a medium sized dog. Didn’t make it any easier to grab with all this  _ blood _ coating it’s already slimy skin.

Chanyeol didn’t have long until blood loss stole away the human, putting all his efforts to waste. He wouldn’t let this all be in vain, finally getting a solid grip on what seemed to be the little parasite's spindly neck. Twisting the materialized demon around organs, Chanyeol managed to get the head exposed to the air. Its dislodged jaw lay on the human's pale stomach, letting loose a painful wail as it attempted to burrow back into the warmth of the human’s body.

“Fucking disgusting-“ Chanyeol muttered, snarling as he tried to yank the anchored thing out. It’s small, pointed arm protruded from the wound and stabbed the air in a frenzy. The witch took the opportunity to grab the appendage, using the leverage to yank its body the rest of the way out of the gushing wound.

The demon landed with a splat, blood-soaked skin leaving an ugly imprint of its body on the concrete floor. It’s spiked feet quickly gained baring, the creature wailing and screeching as it began to struggle against the witch’s hold.

“Sehun!  _ SEHUN! _ “ Chanyeol screamed over the wails of the parasite, hoping his friend had the tub ready. Now, the coven leader thought,  _ this _ was what wrestling pigs was like.

The silver witch burst through the door seconds later, face incredibly pale with sweat pouring down the sides of his face. He looked terrified, his hair a wild mess. It was obvious he’d been sprinting, chest heaving as he briefly took in his leader with his arms coated to the elbow in blood wrangling a slippery, yowling demon.

“What the fuck are you waiting for? Grab him and  _ go! _ ”

Sehun kicked into action without a second thought, stumbling over to the hemorrhaging human. He flung up the u-bands with a flick of his hand, scooping up Baekhyun with his blood soaking into the white of his shirt. Any other day and Sehun would have insisted he not leave his friend alone with such a powerful demon, but he knew that Chanyeol wasn't the top priority here.

Baekhyun sagged into the man's warmth and the comfort of anything that wasn’t concrete, his whole body was numb and buzzing. He couldn’t feel a thing. The brunette opened his eyes, the last vision of his savior being his arms stained with his own blood as he wrangled a creature from the darkest depths of hell, who also doubled as a parasite that had just been  _ in his body _ .

The iron door opened without a single touch and Sehun was off running again, his tiny light from before flickering after sporadically to keep up with their speed. The howling of the creature echoed long after they’d left, Baekhyun ghosting his numbed fingertips over his abdomen. He stared in hazy awe at the shiny, bright coating of scarlet that stained his hands. There was just so much of it, and it seemed so much thinner than he’d imagine blood to be.

The duo burst through another door, the light transferring to the swinging bulb overhead and lighting the room in an amber glow. Baekhyun was barely lucid, holding onto life by a thin thread as Sehun gently set the human on yet  _ another _ concrete floor. Baekhyun wanted to talk to whoever decided to make this place purely out of concrete.

“Is it ready yet?”

Jongin, who was kneeling beside a clawed porcelain bathtub, shook his head as he licked his dried lips. “No, this kind of magic isn’t for those without sigil. It keeps refusing my incantations and setting back a dozen steps.”

“Well we need to put him in  _ now _ . There isn’t any time left!” Baekhyun listened to the conversation as if he were ten feet away, straining to hear their faint words as everything droned quieter.

“We don’t know what could happen to him with these incomplete enchantments!”

“He’s already halfway to death, can’t see how it could get much worse.”

Jongin said something but Baekhyun couldn’t hear anymore, vaguely registering being picked up again. He was lowered into the bathtub, a strange, sludge like substance suctioning him in. It looked milky and thin, but in reality was thick and trapped Baekhyun’s already weak limbs under its weight.

His eyelids grew heavy, red coated hands being pushed under the liquid by another person. By who, he did not know. The pain was growing faint, the tether on his mind loosening and letting it slowly float away. Tension bled from him like the blood that gushed from his wound, body relaxing and going limp as hands grabbed at his shoulders and shoved him under.

Baekhyun didn’t fight, too weak as his hand graced a metal grate that had been placed above the tub. He was trapped.

Sehun and Jongin quickly piled on rocks to hold the grate down, but eerily enough, the human beneath didn’t stir nor fight to get out. It terrified Sehun, who could hear the demon’s cries getting worse as time ticked by.

“He’s not stirring Sehun.” Came Jongin’s frightened whisper. The silver witch couldn’t look at his face or else he’d crumble, bringing on the burden of being the strong one. He couldn’t let Jongin think they’ve failed, not after all their leader has done for this human.

“It’ll be fine, he’ll be fine.” It sounded more like he was trying to convince himself than anything else, eyes stubbornly trained on the task at hand. “Now finish what we started.”

Grabbing handfuls of herbs, they sprinkled the plants and spices over the grate. Soft chanting filled the air that liquified the herbs, the greenery slipping through the grate and coloring the white substance in specks of different hues. The two witches kneeled by the tub, Sehun wishing he could reach out to steady his fellow witch’s shaking hands.

Together, they prick a finger and let a bead of their own blood drop through the gaps in the grate and splat against the thick substance. The milky liquid rumbled, vibrations running along the top of the tub and slowly shifting the claws of the bathtub along the floor. Only after painfully waiting for the shaking to stop, did they immediately begin to throw the rocks off the grate.

Jongin couldn’t get the grate off fast enough, reaching his hands in to pull the thin human to the surface. The pair grappled him out, laying him on the floor by the tub where he wasn’t breathing. Another piercing wail echoed down the hall, Chanyeol should have had the demon dealt with by now.

“Go help Chanyeol, I don’t have a good feeling about this.”

“But-“

“ _ Go _ . That’s an order.”

Jongin didn’t look happy about his friend pulling the authority card since he was, after all, older than the silver witch. But he was never one to needlessly fight, standing with much difficulty and teleporting away.

Baekhyun was covered in white sludge, although when he pulled back the blanket, the sludge by his abdomen was a discolored pink. Sehun swiped his hand over the pink muck, flinging away the mixture of blood and sludge to run his hand over the healed expanse of skin. There was no more deep tear, no stab wound. His stomach was fully intact and just as thin as it was before, but he wasn’t injured anymore.

“Oh my god...it  _ worked _ .”

It was true, the enchantment put upon the once clear water had turned it into a sludge that successfully healed the humans ritual-inflicted wounds. Though, the witch didn’t know if it was soon enough to save the human.

Quickly, Sehun began to perform CPR. He couldn’t use magic to resuscitate him, Baekhyun’s body was too weak to take on even the smallest dose of magic. Pinching the brunette’s nose, Sehun dove in to force air back into his lungs. His arms screamed in protest as he continually pushed his hands down, hard and fast, over the human's unmoving chest. He repeated the steps in a grueling cycle, tired body aching as it was pushed to the limits. But he didn’t give up.

A strangled, yet defiant yowl sounded down the hall again. The sound was  _ deafening _ . The creature began screeching nonstop, panicked and hysteric in its distressful cries. More sweat streamed down the witch’s face, soaking his brows and temples. He was about to resort to magic, the human having been unresponsive for too long, when he gave one final rescue breath to Baekhyun.

Halfway through the second breath and the human began to cough, choking on the sludge stuck in his lungs. Sehun pulled back and grabbed the brunette, helping turn him over so he could retch up the thick muck. The witch combed back the others dripping hair, attempting to both comfort and to prevent the human from going blind. His heartbeat was ecstatic, thumping wildly at the pure wash of  _ relief _ of having saved what he was sure was a lost cause.

Baekhyun crumbled onto his elbows, spitting and coughing out some acrid substance that coating his mouth in an unpleasantly thick film. Vaguely, he could feel a hand in his hair, but he couldn’t open his eyes to see. Feebly, the brunette wiped at his eyes, letting out discontented noises when he only smeared the sludge over his face instead of clearing it away.

Sehun took the edge of the quilt and wiped the coarse fabric over the human's tensed eyes, scrubbing at his nose and lips while he was at it. Though, it didn’t take long for Baekhyun to hiss away.  _ That quilt must’ve been woven from steel wool _ , he thought venomously, it felt like he was going to start bleeding from the fabric scraping away his skin.

“I have to go now, I’ll have someone take you up soon. For now, just rest. It’s all over now.” Perhaps it was the witch’s natural resting bitch face, or simply because Baekhyun knew better, but this wasn’t even  _ close _ to being over. Nothing could convince him he was safe, hell, look where he was now! Sheltered under the roof of a coven's home base, nestled naked under a blanket amidst a maze of concrete hallways. What kind of fucked up irony is this?

Baekhyun merely slumped to the ground in response, losing his position as top priority as another wail whistled by. This time, it was accompanied by a pained yell. Sehun waited no more, leaving behind the shaking stranger to run towards his struggling leader.

_ It shouldn’t have taken this long...unless- _

Panic seized his body, eyes growing wide at the realization that slammed into him like a ton of bricks. How could he forget?!

Sehun ran impossibly faster, disappearing into the shadowy hallways beyond. Baekhyun, now left in a darkened room, sat in the buzzing silence as his eyes stared into the black surrounding him. A cold draft swept into the opened door, the sludge on his naked skin causing the wind to feel twice as cold. He drew the woolen quilt tighter into himself, body heavy with fatigue and buzzing with adrenaline. He was finally alone, and for the first time in the weeks since that fateful night at the pub, there were no eyes staring at him where he couldn’t see.

Baekhyun nodded off to the fading screams of that  _ creature _ , the faintest of lights flashing outside the opened door of his room. He hadn’t slept this well in weeks, laying naked on a cold concrete floor with absolutely no one to keep him company in the growing darkness.

————————————

_ “-whatever you do, don’t let him see Chanyeol. You know how he gets after-“ _

_ “Yeah, no, I get it.” _

A muffled conversation filtered into his trapped mind, Baekhyun feeling the hard line of where concrete met the curves of his skin but unable to move. He felt drugged, sedated in the way he couldn’t budge his eyelids. He felt every inch of his body, but couldn’t move. His mind was awake and active, trudging through the mud with his body severely lagging behind.

With only his mind as company, Baekhyun didn’t know how much time passed. It was almost as if he were in a state of twilight, his consciousness ebbing in and out of the eerie silence of wherever he lay. He felt a gentle hand on his shoulder, large and warm as it slowly shook him in an attempt to wake him up. But Baekhyun was already awake, for how long he did not know.

“Baekhyun, Baekhyun I need you to wake up.”

It was an unfamiliar voice, a slight accent but otherwise smooth as honey. A drawling cadence, slow and soft. Baekhyun tried to tell him he was already awake, but could only let out a grumble from deep within the confines of his throat. He was suddenly drained, the action of speaking much too exhausting.

“It’s alright, you can hear then?”

Baekhyun made another noise, more strangled and quieter than the last.

“Stay with me Baekhyun. I need to tell you a few things before you can go back to sleep. I need you to simply listen, can you do that for me?” Baekhyun wanted to, he really did. The man seemed so kind and gentle, his calming ambiance lulling Baekhyun to relax his frayed mind. He could stay up for a little while, the man was nothing but patient. He could do this for him.

Baekhyun managed to hum his assent, listening to the smile in the man's voice as he cooed at him. “Good, I’m going to be moving you upstairs okay?”

Upstairs...how far down were they again? Baekhyun couldn’t remember much, at the moment he could barely remember his own name. He knew he was laying on concrete, knew the sickly feeling on his skin was sludge, and knew he’d been down here long enough for it to dry. The rest was white noise, a blank.

Baekhyun grumbled, slightly cold as one of those mysterious winds whistled by. As if the stranger could read his mind, he wrapped the human tighter in that scratchy blanket and gingerly nestled him in his arms. He was strong, that much Baekhyun could tell by the hard lines of his chest and biceps. He also assumed the man was tall, as the lift up was higher than the brunette originally thought.

“Okay, now I have to set out a few house rules. I hope you’ll be able to remember them.” Baekhyun decided he could only make occasional noises, just to let the man know he was listening. “First off, you’re going to be in the penthouse. That means you’ll be living with the myth himself. Park Chanyeol. Don’t worry though, he isn’t as bad as he seems.”

They were walking, light flickering above as the human could see the bright outline through his heavy eyelids.  _ They must be heading towards the elevator _ , Baekhyun suddenly mused. Elevator...did something happen in that elevator? There was a transient memory of blaring sirens and slitted white eyes, but then it slipped through his grasp. The memory loss made him feel so empty, like he was missing a vital part of himself.

“You’ll be allowed to use this elevator and this elevator only, it leads here, to the lobby, and to the penthouse. You shouldn’t be coming down here, ever, it’s not a place many willingly go. As for the lobby...” The kind man grew silent, stilling their stroll. The light above was so luminescent it started to burn his eyes, even through the thin skin of his eyelids.

Baekhyun made a noise. Did he not think he was listening?

“Sorry.” The man continued to walk, his bright light bouncing after their slow amble. “Just, don’t be upset. But Chanyeol doesn’t want you going outside quite yet, some things happened while you were down here and it’s all for your own safety.”

Baekhyun felt he should be objecting, upset at the prospect of being contained to the highest possible point of the city to stare but not touch. It was a cruel tease, but as the seconds tick by he grows more tired. The gentle sway of the man's arms lulls him deeper into the darkness of his mind, struggling to focus when he couldn’t move his body as a distraction.

Baekhyun let out a guttural hum, stumbling over the noise. They suddenly stop, and there’s a knelling ring that reverberates through his chest. There’s the sound of metal sliding against metal, and then a second set of nearly soundless doors parting for them. The duo step inside, a ding sounding even though they didn’t move.

The elevator jerks to life, and soon after a mournful violin starts singing its sad song in melodious cries. “Next, you cannot go into Chanyeol’s office. He forbids it. You also cannot go into his room, he’s a private person. Other than that you have free rein over the place.”

_ Ah, so I must be stuck in a tower and can’t even go in all the rooms? How controlling _ . Baekhyun would like to see how long that lasts.

“And lastly, you cannot contact your friends outside these walls. Witches are very crafty you know, if you say even a  _ peep _ to your friends, they’ll use it against you. For your safety and theirs, I urge you to speak with Chanyeol before initiating contact.”

The man was gently rocking Baekhyun, unintentionally or not he wouldn’t object. He vaguely registered the last rule but didn’t think much of it, he was just  _ so _ tired.

A harmonious chime echoed in the elevator, the mechanical sound of doors sliding open filtering into Baekhyun’s fading hearing. “We’re here!”

The room they entered was cool, but nowhere near as freezing as the basement levels. They had a name did they not? Speaking of which, this man never gave his.

“I’m going to need to get this shit off you before you can go back to sleep, is that alright with you?” Baekhyun almost giggled at the man's use of curse words, his voice didn’t seem to fit them all that well. He seemed the type to laugh without resolve.

Baekhyun hummed, but he knew full well he was going to fall back into the precious depths of his mind before they could reach the bathroom. Surely enough, before the man could even run a bath of hot water, Baekhyun was out again.

————————————

Baekhyun woke with a start, drenched in sweat that soaked through his pajamas. His heart was erratically beating, and he couldn’t get enough air into his lungs. Weirdly, the brunette couldn’t remember a  _ thing _ about the dream he had, only the lingering feelings of fear and dread. On top of it all his head was pounding, and he could feel the thumping behind his eyes. He decided it’d be best to venture out to find the kitchen, his mouth dry and clunky.

He pushed back the lush and heavy duvets, peeling back every layer between the linen sheet and some velvet quilt. Crawling to the side of the bed was also a journey in itself, as he could lay on the mattress sideways and still not touch the edge. Baekhyun was out of breath by the time he swung his legs to dangle over the side, toes barely sweeping the cold wooden floor.

Baekhyun looked at the contemporary shaped nightstand by his bed, it had a clock but the face was blank besides the thin hands pointing somewhere near twelve. Other than that, there was nothing. No phone, no wallet, or really anything of his. The human slowly pushed himself up, hands sinking lower into the bed. His warm feet touching the cold floor gave him a jolt, the vent on the ceiling breathing frigid air that pooled near his legs and brushed his bare arms.

There were three doors in his room, the furthest one he figured out was a large bathroom. His eyes had bugged out when he saw the sprawling porcelain and winding gold, far too much space for his mind to comprehend a bathroom to take. He quickly shut the door after that. The next was a walk-in closet, it was empty for the most part. He snagged a hoodie that was on some fancy wooden hanger and pulled it over his head, already feeling warmer.

The last was the door out. Baekhyun peaked out the unassuming door to see a dark hallway with an open archway near the end. There were several other doors lining the quaint hallway, the harsh light of daytime stealing through stagnant curtains on the left. Baekhyun slipped out and started the short walk to the archway, comically peeking around the corner to check for people.

There was an open living room overlooking a wall completely composed of glass. It was smooth and continuous besides the thin lines seamlessly connecting the thick panes, free of smudges inside and out. It stretched a good thirty feet in the air, the ceiling ridiculously tall. That was when Baekhyun realized he was under the stairs, wide marble steps slowly winding from the living room to a second floor nestled just above where he stood.

Quietly padding over to the kitchen, it had only a bar top to separate it from the vast living room, he searched blindly around the ten foot island for a cup. All he found were fancy crystalline glasses, a stark difference from his usually shitty plastic ones. But they always did him good. He wiped down his moist hands to grab one of the expensive glasses, walking up to one of  _ two _ stainless steel refrigerators. They had no tap, only fancy filtered jugs lining the top shelf.

He never felt so poor drinking water.

Carrying the now emptied glass, like it was a priceless painting, Baekhyun set it down slowly in the porcelain sink. The last thing he wanted was to break something. God, would they make him pay for it?

The penthouse was quiet, not a peep besides the whirring of the AC. He wondered if he was alone, would the coven leader leave him so easily? Is this legal? Baekhyun probably wasn’t  _ legally _ allowed to be here, did his friends know where he was? Was there something he was supposed to remember about his friends? He felt like he was forgetting something.

Padding out of the kitchen, Baekhyun felt lost as to what he was supposed to do. What he was  _ allowed _ to do. The upstairs seemed too daunting, and Baekhyun didn’t know if that giant TV in the living room was real or just decoration. There was another room though, tucked away into the corner opposite of the stairs. It had the upper half of the wall as shelves, the inside obscured by books and random knick knacks.

The double doors were sliding, stained dark to blend into the equally dark bookshelves. They were closed now, slightly uneven to allow movement with the sliver of a rug peeking through. Baekhyun wondered what kind of room it was, what place it had amidst an opulent kitchen and a sumptuous living room.

Baekhyun slowly walked around the lengthy, white leather couch with featherlight touches. He didn’t want to dirty the area. As he drew nearer to the doors, he attempted to peer through the bookshelves. He couldn’t see much besides more books sitting atop even darker shelves, they looked like thick tomes and ancient leather-bound volumes. He even saw a few scrolls.

Right as his hand ghosted the textured wood of the sliding door, a velvety voice boomed through the open space.

“I suggest you don’t go in there human.”

It wasn’t even funny how far Baekhyun jumped, stumbling back as if burned and running straight into a tastefully positioned loveseat. His knees buckled and he went falling to the floor, thumping his elbow on the way down.

“Ow~” He whined, rolling onto his side to cradle his elbow. He kicked out his feet childishly, petulantly hitting the loveseat as if he could inflict vengeful pain on the offending object. “Fucking stupid mini couch wannabe bitch.”

The silver witch walked soundlessly over to the cursing human, apprehensively raising a brow at the display. Sehun didn’t know how to react to the rolling brunette, this wasn’t the Baekhyun he’d met. This one was free of any and all magic fever, no longer poisoned by black magic or parasitic demons. This was the true Baekhyun, the one before the Witchin mess.

Sehun didn’t like humans.

Baekhyun managed to get up with only one arm, pouting as he aggressively rubbed his injured elbow. “You didn’t have to jump scare me you know, it’s not like I haven’t been cursed with paranoia for the past month.”

Sehun pursed his lips at the sass, he wasn’t usually challenged like this in the coven. But the thought of his coven leader having to deal with this human for the next two months was enough to make encountering the brunette worth it. He’ll have to tell Jongin to have popcorn at the ready.

“Apologies... _ human _ , but we need to go to the courthouse to sort out your living arrangements.”

He didn’t sound very sorry to Baekhyun, who only narrowed his eyes at the following words. “What do you mean ‘living arrangements’?”

Sehun stared, very intently, at Baekhyun. As if looking for some kind of hint that he was joking or perhaps trying to prank him, that’s all humans were good for anyway. Trouble.

“Um, the living arrangements  _ here _ .” He motioned to the penthouse around them. “In this penthouse.”

Now it was Baekhyun’s turn to stare, nodding off into space as he was sure this conversation had already taken place. There was a memory tickling at the back of his mind, but the more he reached the further it floated away. It was at the tip of his tongue, like a forgotten song he could only hum. “Are you sure?”

The witch looked more uncomfortable by the second, clearly not prepared for the conversation to turn this way. “Just come downstairs with me, we can discuss the rest on the way.”

“But what about Chanyeol?” Baekhyun asked, stumbling past the nice furniture to catch up to the witch’s long strides. “I haven’t seen him.”

“Probably because you’ve been out for three days.”

That made him stop, brain shortcutting as the words seeped in.  _ Three days _ .

“I’ve been asleep for  _ three days _ .” Sehun didn’t bother to turn around, pressing the elevators button and waiting with his hands clasped in front of him. Baekhyun was still frozen by the kitchen, watching the witch down the dim, arched hallway.

The telltale knell rang solemnly through the echoed home and Sehun slid open the scissor doors. He stepped in and looked expectantly at Baekhyun, arm held over the door. The latter quickly scrambled over, nearly running the witch over in his hast. “Glad to see you’re feeling better.”

“Was that sarcasm?”

“No.” Sehun turned his head to look straight at Baekhyun with the most deadpan expression. The human still couldn’t tell if he was being serious.

“Well, if you  _ truly _ care, I have been feeling minimally better. I just...I can’t remember a few things.”

“That’s temporary.” Sehun went to press the elevator's lobby button, only to be beaten by Baekhyun aggressively jabbing it. He gave him a look.

“What? I like pressing buttons.”

“I can tell.” Baekhyun, again, couldn’t tell what Sehun meant by his statement.

“Anyways,” Sehun readjusted himself to lean against the back of the elevator. “You should regain your memory in the next few days. But with such a traumatic event you went through, I wouldn’t be shocked if you just didn’t remember at all.”

“Do I want to?”

“I dunno,  _ do _ you want to?”

Baekhyun leaned against the wall, pouting with his arms crossed as he mumbled. “That’s not very helpful.”

Soon enough, the knell rang again and the elevator door opened. Peaceful lobby music filtered in, a few meandering patrons speaking softly to each other by the rest area. They all turned to stare when the pair stepped out, pointedly looking at him. Baekhyun, on the other hand, nearly shrieked when he’s about to step on a thickly coiled snake tail.

A small rattle raised from the center and menacingly shook at him, the body attached to the tail turning to throw an unimpressed look over his shoulder. He was clearly letting the rattle do the talking, the tips of his fangs poking his ruddy bottom lip. It worked, Baekhyun shuffling visibly closer to Sehun, who in turn pushed him away.

They exited from behind the receptions desk, the entire lobby following his every movement. Not soon enough, they walked outside to where a man with the most wind blown white hair was leaning against a black Rolls Royce. He raised his head from where he was looking down, chewing on some kind of food. When their gazes met, the man smiled wide enough for the corners to touch his eyes. A long rat's tail slithered down from in between his pointed teeth, flicking with its last fight for life.

Baekhyun may or may not have shoved Sehun aside to get inside the car.

————————————

The first half of the ride passed in silence, Baekhyun too afraid to say a word. He had so many questions, and no answers. What happened three days ago that he couldn’t remember? How long until he could? Did he  _ want _ to remember what had happened? And where the  _ hell _ was Chanyeol?

It seemed only one of those questions could be answered by the very man next to him. Well, a good few feet away from him. For some reasons, Sehun didn’t like the prospect of the human touching him. When they first got into the car, the witch very visibly scooted as close to the window as possible...and put down the arm rest. Baekhyun would be lying if he said he wasn’t hurt by the actions, had he done something to the witch that he couldn’t remember?

“...Sehun?”

The aforementioned sighed. “Yes?”

“Where’s Chanyeol? Shouldn’t he be the one doing all this...it is his home after all.”

Sehun had his head perched on his palm as he looked at the passing landscape, something he did often and looked shockingly poised while doing so. He tapped a pale finger against his equally pale face, rolling his lips before answering. “He’s too busy.”

“Busy doing what?”

“Work.”

“What kind of work?”

“Witch stuff.”

“You know, you aren’t very good at friendly conversation.”

“Well you aren’t very good at taking a hint.”

_ Ouch _ . Heaven forbid he just figure out where his roomie was...is he allowed to call him his roomie? He was, after all, the leader of one of the most powerful witch covens in the country.

Baekhyun slouched against the window seat, turning himself away from the stoney witch. Wasn’t he supposed to be answering some questions? Telling him what all this is about? Why was he even going to the courthouse to begin with? Was this about that protection proposition Chanyeol had given him multiple times? Should he not be high-tailing it back to his friends and running into the arms of the police?

Unfortunately, Baekhyun felt too chided and embarrassed to ask. The burdensome feeling of not belonging weighing so heavily on his mind, the scrutinizing gazes that had been thrown at him in the lobby and the predatory smile of the man driving. He hadn’t seen a single human the entire time, feeling outnumbered and watched all over again.

Speaking of feeling watched, Baekhyun looked up to see the driver staring right at him. Even when not looking at the road, his gloved hands smoothly navigated the car through the vacant streets. His eyes were a bright yellow, not gold, but a lemon yellow. They were flat with no depth, almost like contacts. It made reading him difficult, making every smile he sent look deceptive. Baekhyun would dare say they looked dead, but he knew what dead eyes looked like.

His forked tongue danced out from between his teeth, purple muscle sensing the air with a hiss. Sehun briefly looked over at the noise, looking annoyed.

“Shut up lizard.”

Baekhyun startled at the sudden snap, flinching away at where the witch was heatedly glowering at the driver. He assumed the man would be offended, but he only offered a covert smile. He looked like he knew something no one else did, but perhaps he just always looked shifty.

He hissed again, but it seemed more like a patronizing laugh.

By the time they pulled up to the occultist courthouse, Sehun was already opening his door to leave. The cascading steps were free of nosy press and yelling protestors, and any other day Baekhyun would have said it was closed. Sehun straightened his suit jacket as he stood by the door, the human belatedly realizing he was in nothing but baggy sweatpants and an oversized black hoodie.

Noticing his hesitation, Sehun peeped his stoic face back into the open car door. “You’re basically in witness protection, I highly doubt the judge is going to hold your wardrobe against you.”

“It’s not just that...” Sehun sighed in agitation, and Baekhyun quickly elaborated before the witch could snap again. “It’s just...no one asked me what  _ I _ wanted. What if I don’t want to live in a high rise skyscraper in the middle of a district where I don’t belong?  _ Surrounded _ by creatures who despise me and what I am?”

Sehun stared at him for a moment, face fading to an emotionless mask. “I can only imagine what that could feel like.”

Baekhyun colored. “That’s not what-“

“But if you  _ truly _ want to go back to where you’ve been ‘living’,” Baekhyun flushed further as he mentally compared his apartment to the penthouse he’d just come from. Did Sehun know? “Then feel free. Just don’t have your friends come asking us to scrape what’s left of your body off the ground.”

He slammed the door in his face, the whole car shuddering at the force. Baekhyun was going to cry, he didn’t even know why. He just wanted to go sulk alone in his room, hide away from the harshness of this new reality.

“Hey.” Baekhyun snapped his head up to where those yellow eyes were piercing straight through him, reading his soul like a damn book. “Don’t let that kind of shit get to you, Sehun just doesn’t like humans. It’s a tragic childhood type story.”

Baekhyun smiled gratefully, accepting the offered olive branch. “I’ll just...not talk anymore.”

The man shrugged, flicking out his plum colored tongue. “Sounds like a plan, but don’t just let them run over you. You’d be surprised by what you find when you push hard enough.”

Baekhyun nodded, picking at his sleeve. “Do you have a name?”

“Everyone has a name.”

Baekhyun rolled his eyes. “That’s not what I meant and you know it.”

The man smiled, and this time Baekhyun could tell it wasn’t malicious...perhaps it never was. “Yuta. Now get out of my car.”

Baekhyun laughed softly, smiling as he gently opened his door and stepped out onto the busy street. What an odd yet familiar sight, refreshing and suffocating in one foul swoop. Baekhyun walked around, but Yuta rolled down his window and crooked a finger. Sehun was looking away, but clearly growing impatient. Baekhyun leaned down to pop his head in the window, looking at the strange man without the mirror as their gateway.

“Just a word of advice...but don’t compare yourself to witches. They have a sore spot when it comes to their history, they are proud creatures. Just assume they all have some horribly tragic connection to some big bad human, okay?” Baekhyun nodded his understanding, the reptile offering a more humanoid smile that was infectious.

What Yuta didn’t tell him was that he too, hated humans. But after seeing the scared male, he couldn’t just jump on the bandwagon. He didn’t seem like other humans, the reptile didn’t feel the need to hiss and growl at him until he sauntered away. He wasn’t stupid, he knew not all humans were the same. But they were pretty damn similar. Only...this was the first one Yuta felt bad for. He’d have to tell Sicheng to keep his rattling down.

“Now go, shoo! I can’t save you if Sehun decides to skin you himself.”

Baekhyun giggled, only because he didn’t want to think about how true that fact probably was. Pushing off the car, Baekhyun skittered over to Sehun. The latter gave him a hateful look when he saw him smile, but for once, Baekhyun didn’t let it get to him. At least not now.

————————————

“Let me get this straight. You still want to testify...but you  _ don’t _ want police protection? You do realize you made an oath saying you were of sound mind, correct?”

Baekhyun hesitated, looking in the amber eyes of the unimpressed caladrius. It’d only been a few days but to Baekhyun it was only yesterday that he was under those intense eyes, spilling out what he knew under the naive guise that it’d all be over soon. How wrong could he have been.

“Yes?”

“Not only that...but you want protection...from  _ them _ .” Judge Choi pointed at where Sehun was standing off to the side, eyes betraying none of his intentions. The judge was rightful in his suspicions, even to Baekhyun it seemed ludicrous. He was dismissing the city’s trained police, only to hide away with the enemy, someone on trial for  _ capital crimes _ . Oh, and he was also inadvertently testifying against him. To the world, the coven leaders were a package deal.

“Um...yes.”

Judge Choi held up a hand, turning around to yell at a closed door behind his desk. “ _ Taemin! _ I need you to come in here! Make yourself useful!”

The fairy peeped his head in through the door, shimmery eyes and blinding smile lighting up the dreary room. He slipped in and gently closed the door behind him, tilting his head in question as he spotted the pair in front of him. “Tell me if this man has any form of magic in him, I think his mind is being controlled.”

Baekhyun wished he could be offended, but he actually wanted to know if he was indeed being mind controlled. He turned towards the bemused fairy, smiling apologetically. Nonetheless, the fairy didn’t object. He reached into a small pouch at his side and held up a small handful of golden powder. He whispered almost inaudibly into the dust, smiling when he was done and blowing it into the humans face. Baekhyun knew better, but he still sputtered and coughed as some of the dust went into his nose.

Taemin stared very intently at him, getting real close and searching all over his face. Baekhyun held his breath, only relaxing when the fairy turned around and shrugged his answer at the caladrius. He then sauntered back to wherever he came from, disappearing as if he’d never been there in the first place.

“Well  _ that’s _ shocking. Are you sure this is what you want to do? I mean...even  _ I _ don’t know if it’s legal.”

Baekhyun shrugged, he wasn’t actually sure of his decision. Only time could tell if this was the right choice, and as far as he knew, they saved his life. Sure, he couldn’t remember it, but he knew that he hadn’t felt this healthy and well rested in over a month. They did  _ something _ right, and they hadn’t  _ directly _ expressed ill intent towards him.

“Yes, I’m sure.”

“Well then...I have only one more question for you.” Judge Choi then turned his head to Sehun. “Where’s your boss?”

Sehun didn’t miss a beat. “He hasn’t been able to fully focus on coven dealings, he’s simply trying to play catch up. He sends his regards.”

Judge Choi didn’t seem to like that answer, but to be fair it is a pretty big cop out. Baekhyun knew he hadn’t seen Chanyeol at the penthouse, and he wasn’t in the lobby or in his car. So really...where was Chanyeol? Baekhyun didn’t know what covens did it where they went, but something didn’t sit right with him.

_ “-whatever you do, don’t let him see Chanyeol. You know how he gets after-“ _

_ “Yeah, no, I get it.” _

Baekhyun startled himself, blinking rapidly as tears formed from the pressure in his head. It was like someone had injected him with morphine and he was getting an instant rush, the vague memory seizing his head and sliding a missing puzzle piece back in place. It was like deja vu, Baekhyun slowly raising his fabric covered hand to wipe away the tears. He was shaking.

The caladrius was staring at him, but oddly enough, didn’t say a word. He put forth a document, probably to sign away his police protection, and held out a pen. Was it supposed to feel like he was signing a deal with the devil? It felt almost wrong as he signedhis signature, chewing his bottom lip raw as another one was placed in front of him for the coven.

Sehun answered before he could ask. “It’s just to legally say you’re a temporary member of the Horned Moon Coven, don’t get too excited. It  _ is _ temporary.”

“So is this,” Baekhyun motioned to the police protection agreement. “Like that?”

Sehun shrugged. “It’s a lot more complicated, but for now it’s a yes.”

“Is this how all witches do their dealings?” Judge Choi asked with a disapproving frown. “No wonder you guys are an absolute mess.”

“We make it work.” Sehun responded flippantly, spinning a fountain pen that wasn’t his in between his fingers. The judge didn’t seem too bothered, more than likely wanting all of this over before his lunch break. What time was it? Baekhyun just had too many questions, he needed to find some baring in his life.

“Well, here goes my soul.” Baekhyun meant for it to sound like a joke, but his voice sounded much to flat for that. His smile was vapid, soon to die off when he saw the looks from both of the occults. Was this what his life was going to be like now?  _ More _ judgement? He thought that was only a human thing, now he realizes just how simple humans are. Occults were kinda like humans too, only with the complexity of...what made them  _ different _ .

He signed the papers, a whirlwind of conversation bouncing between the occults as he stood off to the side dazed. How simple it had been, a signature or two and his life was a complete one-eighty turn in the eyes of the law. Sehun grabbed him by the elbow sometime later and guided (dragged) the human away from the caladrius, shooting a look behind him when the door closed. It was only the two of them alone in the vaulted corridors, almost something out of Olympus, but modern.

“Hey Sehun, why is nobody ever in this courthouse? It’s always so...desolate?”

Sehun let go of the human, shaking his hand out in disgust. Baekhyun tried not to take it to heart, but it was hard. He  _ must’ve _ done something to the witch.

“Occults deal with their problems in their own ways. The sprites do it the sprite way, the witches do it the witch way, and so on.”

“What’s the witch way?”

Sehun turned his head to look the human up and down, sizing him up. He then shook his head and waved him off dismissively, walking down the hallway with purposeful steps. Baekhyun felt better off talking to a brick wall, he swore it had more personality.

Baekhyun reflected on the memory that had come to him in the judges quarters of Chanyeol. He was sure one of the voices was Sehun, but the one who answered...while the voice was familiar, he didn’t have a face or name to the voice. It was the only tidbit of information he had from the three day gap, and no one knew he had it. It was almost empowering, to know something that no one else does.

As they neared the courthouse entrance, his stomach started to churn. He looked towards the silver witch, trying to gauge if he felt it to, but his face remained impassive. The closer they drew to the doors, the more woozy he felt. Something wasn’t right, like the moments before a jumpscare. His hands were sweating, his heart was palpitating loudly, and his lungs struggled to bring in air. There was inexplicable dread clogging his throat, a weight pressing outwards in his chest. He felt empty but rattled with fear, each step filled with lead until he could walk anymore.

Sehun turned towards the human, clearly annoyed at the hold up. “Why’d you stop?”

Baekhyun licked his suddenly dry lips, trying to formulate a reason without sounding stupid. In the end, he could only shrug. “I’m getting this bad vibe...is there another exit to the building we could take...?”

The human was clearly unsure, walking on eggshells around the moody witch. There was some sort of line, but Baekhyun seemed to be the only one who couldn’t see it. It didn’t help that no one wanted to help him, shunning him or openly staring at him like the only reason they weren’t spitting on him was because he was next to Sehun. How far from home he was, walking through a minefield in enemy territory. He was sure he just took one of many missteps.

The mine blew up in his face.

“Don’t be ridiculous Baekhyun. There’s no other exits, and there’s nothing wrong with this one. Look.” He pointed out of the glass doors of the courthouse to point at where Yuta was picking at his teeth with a curved talon, leaning against the Phantom. “Yuta is  _ right _ there, there’s no need to go running around because of an upset stomach. Now get it, I don’t want to have to touch you.”

“Heaven forbid you touch a rat like me, wouldn’t want you to dirty those scaly ass hands of yours.” Baekhyun then pushed past Sehun, already fed up with the bullying. The latter only scoffed, following after the human with a roll of his eyes.

Baekhyun  _ knew _ something was wrong, the feeling only worsening when he felt the first tickles of autumn wind. Leaves scattered over the topmost platform, weaving between pillars and scurrying off into the wind. The sun was blinding when the cloud covering the bright ball of light blew over, allowing the sun to unleash its full flurry of sunbeams upon the unsuspecting human. Sehun scoffed again, walking past Baekhyun as he muttered something snide.

Sehun wasn’t halfway through his jibe when Baekhyun felt his knees buckle, collapsing to the ground not even a second before a lightning rod struck the wall behind where the human was standing. The static in the air was potent, electricity dancing off the stairs where the remnants of the lightning were cascading down. Baekhyun would find the look on the silver witch priceless at any other moment, but the mixture of shock and terror was enough to get him scrambling onto his hands and knees.

Baekhyun flung himself behind a pillar, a second rod cracking against the ground where he’d been lying. His hands flew up to the back of his head to protect himself from the flying debris, chunks of concrete and chipped stone spraying across the courthouse platform. A thick smog of dust separated him from Sehun, the fog spreading like a blanket of grey as it sprawled across the pillars and blocked out the bright sun.

Baekhyun turned around just in time to see a ball of purple electricity come hurtling towards him, rolling to the side and slamming his shoulder into the courthouse wall to avoid its sparking wrath. A tall, thin man in a black trench coat and boats stood at the end of the pillars, the grey smog swirling around his thick boots. He looked  _ identical _ to the first witch that attempted to take his life at the police department, except that man had been taken down by the elven detective weeks ago. He also disintegrated himself before Luhan could take off the mask concealing his identity.

Baekhyun quickly scrambled to his feet, this wasn’t his first rodeo. But damn, he hoped it was his last.

The human couldn’t escape down the stairs, he simply couldn’t see as far as to safely descend the stairs. The only escape route was the opposite end of the platform. Stumbling behind himself blindly, Baekhyun watched as the witch charged up another rod, electricity dancing up his arm with deafening crackles. Just as Baekhyun felt the chiseled divots of one of the pillars, the man flung the bolt his way.

Baekhyun wove behind the pillar, teeth aching at the impact of the lightning right on the other side of stone. More debris flew, a large chunk of rock knocking into the wall and creating more dust. The fog was drawing closer, attempting to drag Baekhyun in. With his heartbeat in his ears and stomach in his throat, Baekhyun ran out from behind the pillar and ducked as more electricity flew overhead.

“Sehun! Sehun-  _ help me _ !” Baekhyun continued to scream as he drew nearer to the end of the line, dodging and weaving within an inch of his life. He was like a mouse running from some juggernaut cat with fucking laser beams, he didn’t stand a chance! It was dumb luck that he’s survived this long, the hairs on the end of his arm singed from how close the projectiles flew to him.

“Fucking hell!” He screamed as a ball of blue electricity sprayed the ground where he was about to run. He turned to run to another pillar, but then a lightning rod struck the surface and stone came raining down on where Baekhyun stood. The human screamed as he crouched with his hands flying over his head, preparing for the crushing weight of the stone avalanche coming down on him.

When the crushing didn’t come, he peaked open his eyes that ached from the dust particles and saw what he believed to be an angel, but was simply Sehun with his hands held out towards the rock. The stone hovered in air, suspended where they were mere feet from Baekhyun and his crouched form. With a grunt, Sehun threw the rocks to the side, turning towards the man in black with a scowl.

A moment of silence passed between them, the tension rising like a flooding building. Baekhyun was heaving in each smoggy breath with pain, not daring to even shake the rocks and dust from his hair. The stranger had electricity dancing over each arm, the crackling slowly sparking to life as two blueish-purple whips bled down from his hands like flexible lightning. Sehun didn’t move, but the wind nearby began to kick up. A cyclone slowly began to form around him of dust and debris, rocks becoming entrapped by the downdraft and swept into the hungry tornado.

“Go.” Sehun whispered, and Baekhyun began to think he’d been in this position before. Only this time, he remembered how it ended for the man in the cyclone.

The smog was cleared, the stairs covered in rubble but safe enough to traverse. Baekhyun scraped his hands against the trashed ground getting up, running to the steps with the sound of clashing forces ringing out far into the atmosphere. Dust blew out from the platform as Baekhyun took the steps two at a time, using a nearby guardrail to propel himself forward. Yuta was there in a second, grabbing his elbow in his scaly hand and all but throwing him in the car. Baekhyun wasn’t even sitting up before Yuta was in the car and starting it, driving with great zest out of there. You would have thought they were fleeing a bank robbery.

Baekhyun stayed down, staring up at the car's black ceiling with his heart beating as fast as his mind was throwing out thoughts. His hands were one either side of him, one on each seat, to keep him in place. He didn’t even want to look out the window and see if they were being chased, preferring to squeeze his eyes shut and pray that they’d be at the Scraper soon.

The car skidded to a stop, the door popping open and the reptilian tugging at Baekhyun to get out. He felt numb on adrenaline, swaying where he stood out on the sidewalk.

“Go.” Yuta hissed, literally snapping his tongue out at him in angry flaps Baekhyun was sure he couldn’t control. “Get inside!”

Baekhyun didn’t need to be told twice, covered head to toe in grey dust and dripping small chips of concrete as he all but fell into the skyscrapers lobby. He began to violently cough when he took in a too-deep breath, dislodging chunks of wet dust and spitting it without reserve onto the spotless floor. A pair of hands were pulling at him, patting him over for injuries in a panicked pattern.

“Baekhyun! God, what happened to you! Where’s Sehun?”

Jongin was gripping his arms hard enough to  _ hurt _ , holding Baekhyun up to look into his eyes as if they’d give him the answers he was looking for. Baekhyun shook his head, small specks of rock falling to the floor with a chorus of  _ clinks _ . “He’s- he’s still at the-“

Baekhyun began to cough again, tears springing to his eyes. He couldn’t get enough air in. “Courthouse-“

Jongin let go of him, the human crumbling to the floor in a fit of coughs. There was a short conversation and soon Jongin was gone, the human deaf to the soundless slither of an imposing tail slowly making its way over to him. The receptionist, Sicheng as his name plate had read, lowered himself to look into his eyes with concern. His muscular tail slowly wrapped a protective circle around him, hugging the spasming human to his long body.

He picked out pieces of debris from his hair and pushed back his hood, raking his smooth scale covered hand through his starchy hair. The other was rubbing soothing circles into his back, patting him comfortingly through the hacking. He looked down at him with cryptic, misty eyes. Something had changed since this morning, but Baekhyun didn’t know what.

There was a sudden clanging to their right, the tail of pure muscle tightening protectively around the curled human. He could hear the threatening shake of his rattle, the fit subsiding to the occasional cough as he lay slack in the gorgons embrace.

Jongin was stumbling backwards with an equally disgruntled Sehun in his grasp, the two struggling to find a foothold in the new environment. Baekhyun turned over and set his chin on the gorgon's shimmering tail, the latter giving his usual unimpressed looks to the floundering duo.

Sehun stared at where the human was comfortably lounging with the gorgon, who was still methodically combing through his ashy hair. “When did y’all get so close?” Jongin asked, peaking last Sehun who looked vastly bewildered.

“He doesn’t even let  _ Yuta _ touch him.” He whispered to the brazen witch. “ _ Yuta _ .”

“As far as you know.” Jongin mumbled.

Sicheng didn’t say a word, petting Baekhyun like a lap dog. Sehun scoffed, straightening his dirtied suit jacket while sending the duo dirty looks. “For the record, your  _ human _ police couldn’t have protected you from that.”

“You were the one who didn’t believe me when I said I had a bad feeling. We could have avoided the whole near-death-experience altogether, if only you  _ listened _ to me.” Baekhyun huffed, leaning on smooth scales as the adrenaline came crashing down on him.

Sehun gaped at him, the gorgon turning to send him a disapproving shake of his head accompanied with a disappointed frown. Somehow that hurt more than the backhanded comment from the human.

“How was I supposed to know some witchy mercenary dressed in a tacky trench coat was going to try and kill you with  _ lightning _ . I mean seriously,  _ lightning _ ?”

“Some people like that kind of flare.” Jongin commented, shrugging.

“He had  _ whips _ Jongin,  _ whips _ .“

“You keep repeating yourself, you only do that when you’re having one of your moments.”

“A  _ whip _ ! Two!”

The two continued to bicker back and forth, as if having little magical scuffles were a common occurrence. Baekhyun didn’t think he was too cut out for this coven lifestyle, remembering back to the good old days of struggling to pay rent and those bitchy kids on the floor below who could never stop  _ screaming _ . He fell asleep right there, nestled with a glorified snake whose rattle was gently caressing his side in calming strokes.

Just another normal day in the life of the Horned Moon Coven.


	6. Chapter 6

Baekhyun had a little routine. He would wake up and go to sleep much too late to be healthy, go and raid the kitchen, then stare at the wall until he fell asleep again. His naps were often fitful, full of fleeting memories he ended forgetting two minutes after waking up. But this time, when he crawled out from his room dressed in nothing but boxers and a giant hoodie, he was met by a sight he was not at all expecting.

He screamed when only seconds after rubbing his tired eyes, he opened them only to see none other than Park Chanyeol sitting at the bar top having a nice cup of coffee. To say his routine had been disrupted was an understatement.

He should have been preparing for this moment, really, he shouldn’t be shocked as this  _ was _ the coven leaders home. But he hadn’t seen Park for an additional four days after he first woke up, totaling to a week apart between the two. But the man was peacefully drinking his coffee, before Baekhyun had screamed of course, and reading some old time in a language Baekhyun couldn’t even  _ begin _ to understand.

The two stared for what felt like an eternity, Baekhyun gripping the fabric of his sweatshirt over where his heart was and Chanyeol suspending his coffee mug midair. Neither made a move.

Chanyeol made the first move and set down his mug. “I’m glad to see you’ve recovered well.”

“Glad to see you aren’t dead.” Baekhyun slapped a hand over his mouth. Did he say that out loud? Judging by the witch’s expression, he had.

“Not dead yet.” Chanyeol turned back to the tome, tapping a pencil absently against the countertop in thought. Baekhyun decided to avoid being nosy, no need in getting on any more people’s bad sides. But he was slowly dying of curiosity when his imagination ran away with all the different possibilities as to what the witch could be reading from such an old tome.

“Whatcha reading?” Baekhyun finally asked, rushing out the words without much thought. He was currently rifling through the fridge, he’d already been through the pantry yesterday, and missed the quiet laugh from Chanyeol as he watched the human raid his kitchen.

“Just some old, dusty book about plants.”

“What kind of plants?”

“The green kind.”

Baekhyun pouted, eyeing the man behind a jug of lemonade he forced Sehun to go buy him as an apology for nearly killing him. (He said saving him canceled it out but Baekhyun bitched about the lack of lemonade long enough to break the witch).

Holding his two last meals for the day, his lemonade and some fruits he’d found in the fridge, Baekhyun made a hobble back out of the kitchen. Only, when he reached the arch of the hallway, he turned back around. His mouth had a habit of getting ahead of him, and he didn’t think much when he asked his blatant question.

“Where have you been?”

Chanyeol didn’t look up when he responded. “Work.”

“Bullshit.” Baekhyun mumbled, pursing his lips when he realized that days of loneliness seemed to dissolve his brain to mouth nexus. Chanyeol turned to give him a questioning look, but when he shifted in his chair, the human was already gone.

————————————

There was only vast black nothingness. No ceiling, no floors, no walls. Nothing. It was quiet here too. No echoes or scuffling, simply white noise. Baekhyun didn’t know why he was here, or where  _ here _ was. He knew he wasn’t scared, only confused. Was he dreaming? He couldn’t remember being taken anywhere else, last he checked he was eating cold apples and sipping lemonade. Did he stare at the walls for too long?

Baekhyun sat up, disoriented if up was down or down was up. He patted was what he assumed was the ground, though everything looked the same and there were no lines of dimension. The ground was smooth and shadowy, a stagnant film of black stretching over the entire world. Maybe he was supposed to get up? Walk around and run into something?

With great strain, Baekhyun pushed himself up and reeled at the vertigo. He could barely get his ducks in a line, how was he supposed to get them to walk?

Faintly, a second set of faint steps echoed from the beyond. Baekhyun strained his ears to listen, trying to pinpoint where they were coming from. But they were everywhere, coming in from behind him and when he turned to look they only followed where his back was turned. It was a wild game of the human spinning in circles and forgetting which direction was which, while the footsteps grew near.

Until suddenly, they stopped.

Baekhyun was wobbling in place, trying to keep straight as he stared off into the void. But no matter how hard he looked, there was no one in the great abyss. It didn’t make sense, no one would be able to hide in such vast openness! Huffing out a frustrated breath, Baekhyun turned around and screamed when a petite boy with roots growing out of his hair stared up at him.

His eyes were nearly blackened by his large pupil, flowers sprouting out in between gnarled roots. His eyes were sharp, complemented by weeds woven through his thicket of eyelashes. A spiderweb of different gemstones sat in his skin like they grew out from his body, splattering his tawny skin from the neck down. He wore silky clothes which cascaded down his thin frame, dark plums with hunter green undertones. He looked like a kid in pajamas after changing out of his Halloween costume, he didn’t look  _ real _ .

“Am I hallucinating?” The boy shook his head no. “How old are you, exactly?”

“Older than you’d believe.” His voice didn’t boom, but it reflected just what he was. It was like dark shades over the budding sunrise. It was rough and gravely from disuse, soft enough to cause a struggle just to hear his timeworn timbre.

“Where are we?” Baekhyun was getting a little apprehensive, but shockingly enough the nymph was answering more questions than the coven ever did. Not to mention, he looked oddly familiar.

“We’re in your mind of course,” the occult said, voice sweeping through the roiling abyss. “It’s simple, really. There’s a fine nexus between your mind and mine, we’re standing in the portion closer to your own.”

“And... _ why _ are we sharing minds? No offense, but even though you look familiar, I have no idea who you are.”

“You don’t need to know who I am.” The boy shifted back and started to walk off with his black eyes staring at Baekhyun’s bemused ones. “I just need to show you something. It’s quite important.”

“But-“ the nymph turned around fully and continued to meander away, Baekhyun cutting himself off and hurrying his way over to the strolling occult. His hair was the brown of aged bark, streaks of suntanned hazel bouncing along as they walked. To Baekhyun, they didn’t seem to be going anywhere. There was no horizon expanding and nothing behind them shrunk away, they were practically walking on a treadmill.

“Where...are we going?” The nymph pointed to something Baekhyun couldn’t see, his ears jam-packed with swinging charms that glinted in unseen light. “We’re going over there.”

Baekhyun felt like he was getting pranked, or maybe just really dumb. But he couldn’t complain. He was actually getting answers to his questions, just not the ones he expected.

The human turned to ask another question, only for his eyes to go wide at the sight of a horizon. What first started off as just a speck against the black, quickly spread into a widening ball of gold. Baekhyun gaped as the two of them began to walk into a forest, an oasis in the middle of the abyss. The trees sprouted thickets of golden leaves, the underbrush teeming with purple and green leaves alike. Bizarre looking flowers giggled as they passed by, trees with twisted faces turned to give a small bow to the smiling nymph.

“Where  _ are _ we?” Baekhyun whispered in awe, used to not getting any answers and pleasantly surprised every time he got one. “We’re in  _ my _ mind, or at least something like that.”

Baekhyun knew nymphs had their own ancient forests, with some trees thicker than a  _ car _ , but he’d never seen one like  _ this _ . The whole place was something out of a tamer version of wonderland, a chaotic beauty. It all flowed coherently, like a true forest. The leaves wove together to block out an invisible sun, tiny buzzing insects whizzed by, and furry animals with all sorts of coats hid amidst the colorful landscape. As they walked further in, a single gold leaf fell to the floor, disintegrating as it whirled with the wind. It never hit the ground.

“Is this what you wanted to show me?” Baekhyun asked, looking over to the nymph who seemed to positively glow under the new lighting. No matter how much Baekhyun looked back, he couldn’t find the abyss they’d left behind.

“No, what you need to see is a bit further away.” Baekhyun nodded, not a complaint on his tongue as they strolled through the winding wonders of the forest.

Soon enough, the brush began to clear. Trees stopped their looming, animals quieting their chirping and nipping. The boy reached his hand out towards a curtain of golden branches and pulled back the cascading blanket, revealing a tiered waterfall. The water was bluer than any ocean or lake on earth, clear straight to the bottom. Koi fish swam near the lapping banks in schools of orange, yellow, and black. The waterfall went down nearly a dozen little pools to get to the sparkling pond, the echoing trickle like a calming balm to the ears.

The nymph laughed softly next to him when he saw the humans blissed out expression, wading through the soft green grass near the pond. He gingerly sat down, patting the spot next to him for the human to sit. Baekhyun drew nearer to the pond, staring down at the smooth pebbles at the shallow end where a koi was peacefully gliding through the water.

“Is  _ this _ what you wanted to show me?”

The nymph smiled. “Sit will you?”

Baekhyun did just that, his bare feet snuggling into soft blades of grass as he hummed contentedly. He wondered, vaguely, if this was the reason why nymphs never left their forest. Even as a human, he would pick this beautiful scenery over a polluted city any day. No wonder the creatures were so territorial and aggressive, if this were his home he’d sure as hell destroy anyone who’d want to hurt this place.

Then he thought. Maybe the reason this nymph was able to live in the city, was because his forest wasn’t the kind that needed protecting. Perhaps...his home wasn’t  _ physical _ , at least not to others. The thought made him feel special, for not every occult could welcome a human to such a sacred place.

“There are a lot of things I can’t explain Baekhyun, and I apologize for that.” The human was about to protest, but the nymph continued on. “The reason I am familiar is because you and your friend had a fight in a cafe I frequent. I stopped your friend from going after you when you stormed off. Do you know why?”

The memory was foggy at best. He vaguely remembered snapping at Junmyeon, but he hadn’t meant it. The days before the trial, and even during it, he had moments where he wasn’t quite himself. Baekhyun knew that there was an explanation for that, but again, he forgot what it was. But he didn’t push his memories though, they’d come out when the time was right.

“I can’t say I do.”

The nymph smiled sadly. “It’s because of that witch of yours.”

“My witch? I don’t own a witch.”

The boy laughed, ringing loud and clear over the tranquil pond. His eyes crinkled when he smiled and he looked every bit as young as his form would like you to believe. What a strange deviation of occults. “Some things in life...need to happen. Sometimes, it takes a push to get the wheels turning.”

Baekhyun pursed his lips, looking at his rippling reflection as the koi swam away. “Are you saying that that fight was  _ destiny _ ?”

The nymph scoffed. “There’s no such thing as destiny, such fanatical words don’t deserve to limit one's perspective. What I’m trying to describe is so much  _ more _ .”

“I’m...” Baekhyun paused. “I’m so lost.”

The koi nearby began to all swim away, the gentle sway of underwater greenery the only living beings to keep the duo company. “I’m  _ saying _ some things happen for a reason, and other things need to happen in order for that reason to be valid.”

“Yeah...no, still lost.”

The nymph shrugged. “You may not understand now, but in the near future you’ll get it. For now, though, let’s talk about the past.”

“The past? Like my memory loss?”

“No...” the boy picked at some of the grass nearby, spinning his hand lazily to sprout a tiny pink bud from the earth. He caressed it’s closed head, the two watching as the pink bud unfurled into a blooming daffodil. He picked the flower and handed it to Baekhyun, looking off into the water. “I’m talking about another person's past, though, it was only a few days ago.”

“If it’s another person's, what does it have to do with me?”

The boy tsked, gifting Baekhyun with a lopsided smile. “Because it inadvertently affects you.”

He held a finger to his lips when he saw Baekhyun about to protest, pointing to the water. The human slowly turned his head, still gripping the flower, and looked into the rippling surface. Colors began to swirl, bubbles boiling to the surface and disrupting it all further. The small alcove where they sat was the only place affected, and soon, voices began to echo across the pond.

“You’re an absolute  _ idiot _ , please tell me you didn’t kill that boy!”

The upset water was starting to settle, the harsh whispers ringing out across the water soon to match with a face.

“He was making too much ruckus, I couldn’t let him prance around anymore.”

Baekhyun’s blood ran cold when he heard that voice, glowing green peeking out from the settled water. The two coven leaders were in a hallway back at the occultist courthouse, Kyowon looking pissed to the heavens with the dreaded Eunjae looking unmoved.

“Goddammit Eunjae! You know if Chanyeol ever finds out about what you did- there’s no law that could protect you from him. He’ll burn the whole city down to get to you! And not only will he kill you, but he’ll kill me by association! This time you’ve absolutely fucked us!”

Eunjae went to push himself off the wall he’d been shoved into, only for the shorter, stout man to shove him back. The crimson witch growled, sigil burning in warning. “It’d be better to kill you now and save myself.”

“Now, now,” Eunjae tsked, clicking his tongue in disapproval. “You need to relax, I have this all under control. I got rid of it  _ all _ , precious Chanyeol won’t find a  _ thing _ . For all he knows, his apprentice just went missing.”

_ Apprentice _ ? Baekhyun pondered, did witches like Chanyeol even have students?

“Dipshit, you think it’s that easy? His entire  _ coven _ was wiped from the face of the earth! And their leader is simply  _ gone _ ? How fucking stupid do you think Park is? He’s not gullible enough to believe the boy's still alive, and just  _ missing _ . Not to mention, we both know if he gets his hands on that human witness it’ll all be over for the  _ both _ of us.”

Baekhyun felt his heart drop, cold radiating out from his innards. They were talking about him, but what boy were they referring to? Perhaps, it was the neon headed one from the night of the Witchin Massacre? But, Baekhyun didn’t remember a sigil on the boy...or did he? Maybe it was the Adonis who created the cyclone, but he for sure didn’t have a sigil. The only person he could ask was, well-

“Chanyeol won’t ever get his hands on that pesky human,” Eunjae leaned in close to the other man's scarred and twisted face. Smiling as he whispered “I have measures in place.”

The witch threw his head back a hideous laugh. “You mean the Traeger? If that thing fucking worked, then the human would’ve been dead a week ago! Your magic is janked!”

_ A week...this must have taken place the day of the mistrial _ .

“I’ll never tire of your eloquence dear Kyowon.”

“Don’t patronize me bastard.” He backed away from the other coven leaders slim mien, glaring hotly into his snake thin eyes. “If Chanyeol was to find out what happened...he’d have all the means to find where you hid the ‘evidence’. For both our sakes, I hope to god you know what you’re doing.”

Before the memory began to fade out, swirling back into clear pond water, a noise echoed down the lengthy hallway. Both witches turned to where Baekhyun was watching, the human forgetting how to breathe as he stared right at the witches. That was when he realized, he was watching the entire encounter  _ through _ someone else.

The person cursed quietly, ducking back behind a corner as their eyes danced over the wall opposite of them. There was silence.

“Kyowon, go back to the courtroom.”

Right before the last of the memory swirled out, Baekhyun watched their eyes flicker down. They stared straight at an empty holster, a SSNAD badge hooked snuggly next to it.

_ Seungyeon _ .

That’s when it hit him. The agent and Eunjae were absent when the decree for a mistrial was first announced, the detective showing up seconds before Eunjae with worry evident on her face. She’d overheard an  _ entire _ conversation, but couldn’t tell anyone before Baekhyun had been swept away.

Baekhyun leaned back, lying with his back flat against the grass. His mind was reeling,  _ what did this all mean _ ?

The nymph leaned over him, his hair tucked behind the literal roots of his head. He smiled apologetically, void eyes reflecting no emotion. It was a strange juxtaposition, nymphs were strange creatures.

“How- how did you get that?”

At that, the boy said nothing. It was the only question he didn’t answer, but perhaps Baekhyun didn’t want to know.

“You should be going now, you have lots of work to do before the next trial.”

Baekhyun wanted to object, a barrage of new questions flooding his mind as if a dam had broken. But before he could do so much as open his mouth, he blinked and darkness washed over him. When he opened his eyes next, he was greeted with oxidized apples and warm lemonade.

Baekhyun didn’t even feel groggy as he sat up, rubbing at his eyes and pinching himself. Hard. After establishing that yes, that did indeed hurt, he groaned in frustration. What was he supposed to do with this information? Was he supposed to go ask Chanyeol about his missing apprentice? The two were still practically strangers, Baekhyun couldn’t even hold a conversation with the man! They’d just be talking circles with Baekhyun asking a question and the witch skirting around it with the vaguest of answers.

The human slumped back down into the covers with a huff, punching the nearest pillow as he flopped around to dispel the mounting feelings of hair-pulling exasperation. Only, clutched in his right fist was the soft velvet of a stem.

Upon closer inspection, Baekhyun came to realize it was none other than a pink daffodil.

————————————

The next day, Baekhyun set himself up with a goal.

He was going to ask Chanyeol if he could invite Seungyeon over, like a damn child asking permission for a play date. He was twenty-six asking  _ permission _ from another grown ass man to talk to a woman. It was pitiful,  _ pathetic _ even. But when he fell asleep that night, he was greeted with a vision from the three day blank space in his memory. Turns out, there were rules he’d been subconsciously following. No phone calls, no friends, and no office. Those were the big ones in his mind anyway.

It gave new meaning to the strange book-shelved room, the one Sehun had stopped him from entering those few days ago. Although, it only added to the mystic of it all. Now more than ever Baekhyun wanted to see for himself what was in that study, like a kid being denied candy when it was dangled right in his damn face. If he took it without anyone noticing, then did he  _ really _ take the candy?

Baekhyun skipped coyly into the living room, Chanyeol having just arrived back in the penthouse before going off to a business meeting. ‘Coven things’ he’d told Baekhyun when the latter had asked, the human really should know better by now. Which means he caught the witch at a perfect time, a time in which he was poised to give Baekhyun the answer he wanted with less thought given to the consequences.

“Hey Chanyeol?” The witch was currently looking down at more of those strange runes, they too, looked vaguely familiar. “Can I have some people come over? You know, since I can’t leave the building.”

Chanyeol hummed in thought, perfectly preoccupied with his preparations for whatever meeting he was having soon. “Who is it you want to visit?”

Baekhyun rocked back and forth on his heels, dreading the question but knowing it was necessary. “I wanted to talk to Seungyeon.”

That drew the witches attention. “The SSNAD detective?”

Baekhyun didn’t like the way the coven leader looked so suspicious. He hasn’t been able to spend much time with the man, both tended to keep to themselves and Chanyeol was never home, so he didn’t have that  _ connection _ to simply swoon over the witch. There was zero trust between them, neither knew each other or their motives. So, Baekhyun just smiled and fed little half truths.

“Yeah, I bet she’s been busy with the case since the police have more time to investigate due to the mistrial. I’m worried she’s overworking herself, we grew close in the time I was in police protection.” That was a lie, he felt more close to Luhan than the human agent. But the poor elf hadn’t shown his face since his meltdown, it made Baekhyun wonder where he went. “I just wanted a quick chat, nothing too serious.”

Chanyeol didn’t seem pleased, as if sensing something wasn’t right. But time was ticking by quickly, and his meeting would be soon. He didn’t have time to argue, interrogate, or deal with Baekhyun if he threw a fit. The witch sighed, waving his hand dismissively as he turned back to his documents. “I’ll have Sicheng ring her up, until then you can wait downstairs.”

Baekhyun sang his thanks as he skipped over to the door, taking a smug pleasure in jabbing the elevator’s down button. Truly, witches were  _ far _ too invested in themselves to realize just how clever Baekhyun was. It was almost sad on their part. While witches were given the deceptive rep for their entire kind, the humans were known for being simple-minded and only powerful in numbers. It made the coven underestimate Baekhyun, as he was just one human by his lonesome. A human with too much time on his hands.

By the time Baekhyun reached the bottom floor, Sicheng was hanging up the phone and nodding his head to the unsaid question. Baekhyun bowed his head slightly in gratitude, moving excitedly out from behind the reception desk to head over to the assorted rest area across the lobby. He flopped down, trying to tone down his smile as he knew he probably looked like a maniac.

The lobby was even more scarce today than it usually was, the only other people beside the human and gorgon were a pair of witches who’d just exited the elevator. Baekhyun still got funny looks when he came downstairs, and the human wondered if it was because the rest of the coven might not know  _ why _ he was here. It seemed unlikely, as the entire occult world knew of the landmark case.

Although...when Baekhyun thought about it, he didn’t quite know the extent of the charges brought against the Covens Three. Only that it meant hell for the witch world. He’d have to ask Seungyeon when she arrived. Until then, Baekhyun found himself thumbing through the newest additions of Witchin magazines. They had all the latest and greatest recipes for cleaning your cauldron and a whole section on harmless magical pranks.

Baekhyun was in the middle of reading an intriguing article about a study on altering archaic runes, when the glass doors of the lobby swung open. The human looked up at the melodious bell that rang as someone walked through the entrance, it was  _ magic _ so you could tell what creature had walked in, and felt his heart jump when he heard the same tune as his own.

Sehun was outside talking to Yuta, Baekhyun needed a witch to grant any non-witch passage, looking as peeved and disgruntled as usual. Which seemed well within his right as not one but  _ two _ detectives walked through the door. Baekhyun was up in a second and jumping into the arms of the unsuspecting elf, screeching the whole way.

“Luhan! I’ve missed you!” Baekhyun squished himself against the dazed elf, who was still trying to process the human clinging onto him. Sehun watched the interaction through hawkish eyes, turning to the reptilian driver who looked much too amused.

“They seem quite friendly don’t you think?” Sehun narrowed his eyes suspiciously as the human animatedly talked to the two detectives, the female looked slightly offended at the others warm welcome. Yet, refused a hug when it was offered.

“Ah, don’t tell me you're jealous Sehun~” Yuta barely ducked out of the way when the witch threw back a swing, cackling in that too-loud way of his.

“I’m not  _ jealous _ , just suspicious.”

“Why?” The driver genuinely asked. “It’s none of your business who they are or are not to each other, you’re just looking for a pot to stir.”

Sehun turned his suspicious eyes to Yuta, eyeing him up and down then looking back through the glass at the gorgon typing away at his computer. “Since when were you so accepting to humans? Did you have something to do with that whole Sicheng-Baekhyun thing the other day?”

Yuta looked blankly at him, shrugging as he stared off at a nearby butterfly, licking his lips hungrily. “I don’t have the foggiest idea as to what you are implying.”

“Don’t think I don’t know what it means when you start to speak eloquently, you’re up to something.”

“If that ‘something’ is making the human feel that slightest bit more  _ welcomed _ in a place where everyone wants to tear him apart piece by piece then yeah, guilty as charged.” Yuta jumped up four feet in the air and aggressively snatched the butterfly from flight, shoving it into his mouth on the way down.

Sehun watched on in disgust, the reptile obnoxiously smacking the dead butterfly between his teeth. The witch scoffed, what bad company lizards made.

“I hope you know that was a monarch.”

Baekhyun settled down with Luhan and Seungyeon, the detectives sitting across from the human. The couches were plush velvet, brushed to ultimate cleanliness. Not a hair in sight. Seconds later Yuta came sprinting in, papers on the receptions desk flying out from his wake. Sicheng looked in disturbed concern as the reptile disappeared into the bathroom, Sehun entering a moment later with a shit-eating grin. Baekhyun didn’t look over when he heard the rattle shake.

Luhan began to turn, but Baekhyun quickly shifted the subject from the murder about to take progress behind them. “So! How has your recovery been?”

Luhan looked towards him in mild concern, eyes questioning the rare sight of a gorgon and why it was stationed behind a desk. Baekhyun just smiled as he awaited his answer, Seungyeon having to jab the elf in his side to draw his attention back.

“What was the question?”

“He’s doing perfectly fine.” Seungyeon sighed, her skin looking less tawny then when they had first met. “Back to overworking himself as per usual.”

The elf gave a sheepish smile. “Well, apparently when I’m out for a few days everything decides to turn to shit. Sorry if I don’t want to miss anything else major.”

Now it was Baekhyun’s turn to look sheepish. “It’s not like I  _ tried _ to worm my way into a coven.” There was a snort nearby, and Baekhyun sent a nasty glare to where the silver witch was impishly picking at his nails.

“Trust me, I’m sure if you knew you’d be dealing with assholes all day you would’ve stuck with us.” Sehun scoffed at Seungyeon’s words, mumbling something inaudible and busying himself by conversing quietly with the distracted gorgon.

“But on a more serious note.” Luhan leaned closer, forearms settling on his thighs as he stared straight through Baekhyun with those bright sapphire eyes. “Why’d you call us here? Or, Seungyeon to be more exact.”

Baekhyun flickered his eyes over to Sehun, eyeing the silver witch with discontent. He didn’t trust the man as far as he could throw him, Baekhyun learned not to trust  _ many _ things these past few weeks. The detectives noticed this, locking eyes and transferring information in that partner-thing they like to do.

“Um...nothing serious, aren’t I allowed to just miss you guys?” Baekhyun laughed heartily, but to those close to him they could hear the strain. Seungyeon discreetly took out a notepad from her satchel, reaching over and stealing a pen from a nearby table. She clicked the cartridge into place, scribbling down a question without shifting her head.

‘Do you feel safe?’

Luhan pressed two fingers to his jaw, as if in thought. He tapped them twice, then mouthed ‘yes’. He did the same for ‘no’, only he tapped one finger. Baekhyun set his hand on his raised leg and leaned his head against his palm, tapping two fingers with a vapid smile.

“Missed us? You’re too kind.”

Seungyeon held up another note, ‘Does it have to do with PCY?’. Baekhyun tilted his head, confused. She then wrote ‘Park Chanyeol dipshit’.

Baekhyun laughed, shaking out his bangs as he thought up a response. He held up one finger. “Not quite.”

“Ass.” Seungyeon teasingly hissed, throwing an older edition magazine at her fellow human. Luhan stole the pad and scribbled down another question. ‘Is the person in this room?’.

Baekhyun tapped two fingers. “Sorry, but I think I’ve missed Luhan more than you  _ Seungyeon _ .”

The two detectives looked up at him, a mixture between bemused and stunned. Baekhyun shrugged, looking at his stubby nails in disinterest. Seungyeon laughed, expression conflicted. “Let’s move onto another topic before I end up leaving the both of you.”

Baekhyun began to ponder, how was he supposed to tell them about how he saw a vision  _ through _ Seungyeon  _ about _ him and Chanyeol? He needed the lobby cleared to tell them the details, they couldn’t do yes and no questions or they’d be here all day.

Then, Baekhyun had an epiphany.

The human jolted in his seat, as if an old memory had slammed into him. He gasped and pointedly excitedly towards the shocked looking elf. “Do you remember when I had that really bad nightmare? And you had come over to my house and when you touched me to wake me up, you accidentally shared a vision with me?”

Luhan looked mightily bemused, staring at Baekhyun like he had two heads. Seungyeon wasn’t much better, probably thinking he’d finally gone ‘round the bend.

“Vision?”

“Yes! I could’ve  _ sworn _ you shared one with me! Or maybe...” Baekhyun pretended to think back. “You know what, that might’ve been a dream too. I was kinda loopy that entire time.”

The human stole back the pad, Luhan laughing as if Baekhyun made the funniest joke in the world. The two really were great actors, the elf bouncing off of Baekhyun’s hints with ease as he left his partner to decipher them. “You have such crazy dreams.”

Seungyeon held up the pad. ‘Someone shared a vision with you about me?’

Baekhyun tapped one finger as he discreetly pointedly at Seungyeon, bugging out his eyes as if to get the point across. Luhan stole the pad back, glaring at Luhan as he scrawled messily. ‘Someone shared a vision and you saw it through Seungyeon?’

“I have the craziest dreams!” Baekhyun exclaimed, surprising the other two on the couch. “I told Seungyeon this one about the- oh what’s it called? The- the- oh my god.”

Baekhyun snapped his fingers in the air, pretending to try and recollect the word he was grasping at. “Ah ha! Courthouse!  _ Courthouse _ was the word!”

He turned to Seungyeon, eyes intensely staring her down. “I had a dream about the courthouse, and  _ you _ were in it-“

Seungyeon gasped loudly, slapping Luhan as she stared at him in shock. She wasn’t acting. “Oh my god, I know what you’re talking about. Oh my god, I remember.”

She was floundering in shock, absolutely astonished as to how Baekhyun knew. Sehun looked at a new level of annoyance as he glowered at the loud, chaotic conversation transpiring on the  _ other _ side of the lobby. He couldn’t eavesdrop any longer, the entire conversation was dead. He tapped Sicheng’s shoulder, even though they both hated touching. “Keep an ear out yeah? If they speak anything of note you tell me.”

The gorgon nodded, side-eyeing the witch.

“Don’t give me that look.”

The gorgon shrugged, the whole movement of him turning back to his computer seeming a little too judgmental. It seemed the reptiles of the building were conspiring against him, both questioning his motives.

“Hey, look, I’m not being over obsessive or anything. I’m just doing my job and looking out for the coven, don’t get it twisted.” Sicheng gave him an unimpressed look, as if to saw ‘to each their own’ before returning back to his work. It made Sehun reassure himself on the way up to the penthouse,  _ he was  _ not _ being overly-obsessive _ .

Soon after Sehun left, Sicheng slithered out from behind the receptions desk to the men’s bathroom. His facade cracked as worry overtook his smooth face, sounds of vomiting echoing out from the opened door as the gorgons long tail tapered off slowly until the door shut.

The two detectives and Baekhyun had the lobby to themselves.

Luhan spoke first. “Are you saying you had a vision through Seungyeon’s eyes? How? Humans don’t have visions.”

Baekhyun was at a loss for words, shrugging at the expectant expressions of the pair in front of him. “Some nymph I ran into at a cafe apparently decided to share it with me, but he didn’t tell me how he got it.”

“A  _ nymph _ ?” Seungyeon asked, incredulous. “Those things don’t ever come out of their forests! They would rather die than leave their homes to humans.”

“But that’s the thing!” Baekhyun leaned in closer, terrified of letting his knowledge be overheard by any possible people who could walk by. “He had a forest, but it was  _ in his head _ .”

Luhan leaned back, whistling all the way down. “You’re dealing with some next level nymph. Shared a vision with you,  _ and _ can carry his home within a different state of mind. Not to mention he actually  _ let you in! _ ”

“I know right! He looked so young though.” Baekhyun frowned, waving his hand around as he remembered the strange boy in the woods. “He was small, boy-ish face, with all these natural occult features. I mean, not even that gorgon you saw can compare to him! He was almost 100% in his true form, just minus the skin.”

Nymphs all had bark for skin, raised grooves and ridges that matched the trees around them. It was camouflage, making them all the more dangerous when one unknowingly steps foot into their territory. “He just kept talking in riddles, about how I needed to see this and blah blah blah.”

“How eloquent.” Seungyeon jibed, the elf turning to give her a look.

“Well?” The woman looked at her partner.

“Well?”

Luhan sighed. “Are you going to tell me about what he had this ‘vision’ about?”

Seungyeon looked around the lobby, eyes shifting as she grew more suspicious. “Not here, I don’t trust it.”

Baekhyun watched as the female grew increasingly more agitated, recognizing that telltale paranoia. It was probably why she hadn’t told anybody, scared to put herself or anyone else in more danger. Well, now Baekhyun knew and soon Luhan would too.

“Well...I don’t know what I’m supposed to do with this.” Baekhyun muttered under reference to the vision. “The nymph says I don’t understand yet, but I will soon.”

“If it’s any consultation, nymphs aren’t bullshitters. What they say they mean. Just listen to what he said and don’t do anything outwardly stupid, and don’t stress. Rome wasn’t built in a day.”

“Nowadays I bet it could be.”

Luhan shrugged, pushing himself up from the couch and holding out a hand for Seungyeon. She wouldn’t be able to stay in the Witchin District much longer, the discomfort was glaring.

“We better get going then. It was nice talking to you, glad to know you’re alright.”

Baekhyun smiled bitterly. “Likewise.”

They said their goodbyes, Baekhyun hugging Seungyeon even through the protests. Even though he wasn’t very close with the other human, he’d been isolated from familiar faces for far too long. Everyone outside the district seemed like a friend to him now. He hugged Luhan much longer, the elf back to his ebbing mellow presence. They hadn’t even left and Baekhyun already missed the two.

“Stay safe, be smart.” Luhan whispered, pulling back and ruffling the humans hair. “It’ll all be over soon.”

Baekhyun didn’t understand why everyone kept telling him that.

The detectives showed themselves out, insisting that they were fine walking until they got out of the district to call a cab. Yuta still wasn’t out of the bathroom, Baekhyun not even wanting to  _ know _ what he did to come running in guns a-blazing. Instead, he stood in the middle of the empty lobby, overcome by a sense of homesickness and echoing loneliness.

Baekhyun slid the scissor gates and clambered into the elevator, pressing one of three buttons. The solemn violin was back, this time accompanied by a somber piano. It didn’t help his mood. Two months didn’t seem so long initially, he’d already survived a week without a hitch (the attack at the courthouse didn’t count). But after seeing what he couldn’t have, the last seven weeks were practically impossible. He knew the witches weren’t going to bend over backwards to attend to him and his need to be close to something familiar, they weren’t going to run back and forth to bring his friends to him.

Baekhyun had spent so long alone in his apartment battling demons, and now that those demons weren’t actively battling him in the dark recesses of his mind, he wanted to make up for lost time. He wanted to do normal things again, go out to cafes and say stupid things to the Kim couple. Laugh obnoxiously loud at the lamest jokes Junmyeon would throw out for a smile, and calmly watch movie marathons with Yixing before he had to leave again for China.

He didn’t want to be a key witness anymore, not for things he understood to be wrong and for things he didn’t understand at all. He didn’t want to be trapped between an evil and a lesser evil, sleeping under the same roof of a stranger who could rip him apart from the inside out without an ounce of blood to splatter his pristine suit. Baekhyun was a bunny in a wolf's den, and most of them looked hungry.

The knell rung and the scissor gate opened without preamble, and Baekhyun hadn’t touched them. The human padded out soundlessly into the dark hallway, fiddling with his hands. He didn’t want to interrupt the meeting if it wasn’t already over. But when he popped his head around to the kitchen and peered through the opening, Chanyeol was calmly thumbing through one of his old tomes. Alone.

Baekhyun attempted to sneak past the witch, whose back was to him, but he hadn’t even gotten two steps in before Chanyeol spoke up. “How was your visit Baekhyun?”

Chanyeol didn’t even turn his head! Still reading his tome as if the action of talking to his temporary resident wasn’t worth taking his eyes off that dusty book. Baekhyun, looking like a chided child, froze where he stood. He shifted on his heels and made eye contact with the back of the witch’s head, staring unblinkingly until the cobalt of his hair fuzzed around the edges.

“It was fine.” Baekhyun answered simply, aching to run away to his room to sulk in silence.

Chanyeol marked the page he was on and set the book down, patting the area next to him with an insipid smile. “Come over and talk to me.”

To Baekhyun even his smile felt strained, a wince even as his joints protested the movement towards the witch. Every bone felt like rickety wood, the human stiff as a board as he sat on the farthest part of the couch. Chanyeol raised a brow at him, so Baekhyun drew his knees up to his chest and faced him with half his face hidden.

“What do you wanna talk about then?”

Surprisingly, the coven leader didn’t look annoyed like Sehun would have. Instead, he seemed quite amused. He quirked a smile and turned to fully face Baekhyun, tucking one leg beneath the other. The human shrunk beneath his gaze, not used to have more than a sliver of his attention. Baekhyun didn’t trust anybody in this skyscraper, not a soul. Chanyeol was no different.

“Well, what’d you talk about with your little friends?”

Baekhyun scrunched his nose, unable to tell what he was prying for. Was this cordial conversation? Or something more?

“Where’d Sehun go? I saw him come up here.” Baekhyun barely caught the flicker of distrust that shadowed the witch’s face, then it was gone.

“He had reports to give me, stuff about business.”

Here they go again, Chanyeol with the vague answers and Baekhyun with the budding annoyance of being treated like he was ignorant. He worked for  _ years _ in a programming company, had corporate shoving jobs into him like you wouldn’t  _ believe _ . He was no business expert, but the excuse of him not understanding the ins and outs of the business hierarchy was bullshit. The witch didn’t seem to care, circling the conversation back to him.

“You didn’t answer my question.”

Baekhyun smiled with daggers in his eyes, it was getting harder to walk on eggshells when he wanted nothing more than to crush every fragile thing in sight. “Oh, just catching up. You know,  _ legal things _ .”

The witch continued to smile, but he saw that he’d struck a nerve. It was all in the way Chanyeol flexed his hands, popping his joints when he aggressively tensed the muscles. The vein in his neck showing prominence for a moment before Chanyeol tsked, shaking his head with his eyes shining blue. “You need to watch your mouth Baekhyun, it will get you into trouble.”

“You mean, like being dragged into the middle of a trial I didn’t want any part in? That kind of trouble? Or maybe, it’s the kind of trouble where mysterious men in black try to kill you outside government official buildings. But I don’t know anything, so you tell me Chanyeol.”

The latter gaped at the human, who was smiling with such a bitterness it would be more appropriate to call it a sneer. Every word was sharpened to a point, stabbing and digging into any piece of skin he could find. He was hurting and he wanted someone to hurt too. For once, someone else should take the punches. Now, blowing up on a powerful coven leader and using him as a verbal punching bag might  _ not _ be ideal, but Baekhyun didn’t give a shit anymore.

“I don’t know where all this is coming from-“

“Then you’re just as stupid as you think I am! Talking down at me just like everyone else and then turning around and trying to pry into my personal life!” Baekhyun pushed himself up on his knees and pointed down at the silent witch, letting his emotions get the best of him in an ugly display of pent up anger. “If you’re trying to accuse me of leaking information to the police about you and your little  _ brigade _ , then you can rest easy because I couldn’t sell you out even if I tried!  _ I don’t fucking know you _ !”

Baekhyun was panting, the fight slowly dying out as reality set in. He’d just yelled at one of the most powerful men in the country like an angry ex. Chanyeol was staring up at him from where he was calmly sitting on the couch, a perfect juxtaposition to the mess Baekhyun had become. The witch’s face slowly faded to neutral as the rant dragged on, eyes darkened and hardened to stone. Neither knew each other, and every small step forward had them reeling back ten steps.

At the end of the day, neither wanted to make the first move. All content to simply live around the others presence until things came boiling to a head. Baekhyun didn’t trust a man who in the eyes of the law, committed crimes worthy of death. Chanyeol didn’t trust a human who had the power to destroy him and everything he knew, a human who wasn’t like the humans he knew at all. Chanyeol didn’t like surprises, and he didn’t like not  _ knowing _ . Baekhyun was a mystery who was full of surprises, and Chanyeol was an enigma with secrets locked further away than hell.

Baekhyun made the first move and got off the couch, turning to walk away and lock himself in his room. It wasn’t his by name, but it was his safe space and he claimed it. The human would fight tooth and nail for his little haven, even if it were a damn  _ broom closet _ .

There was a cold hand wrapped around his bicep, tugging him back. Baekhyun turned around to protest, yelling some more in the witch’s face with his emotions scattered all over the floor like a broken vase. But red hot pain flared up his arm, vision whiting out to show a fleeting vision of a terrified man crawling on the ground. He was human, hair dampened by his own blood which slid down his face in crimson streaks.

A long, blue spike struck up from the ground, slicing through muscle and bone. The man screamed, hands instantly flying to his thigh where the protrusion held him in place. The spike was bloodied, just as red as the human's shaking hands. He was probably going into shock, crying pathetically in pain. That was when a tall figure emerged from the mist, a figure glowing cobalt in night's thick fog.

The figure grew closer to the shaking human, the latter screaming out pleas and begging for mercy. He threw out his wallet and phone, crying all the way as he stared up in pure terror at the towering man. He had a sigil, burning bright in the absence of the new moon's light. A circle and crescent, bleeding the same blue as his stone cold eyes.

Baekhyun watched with the echoing screams rattling his ears as Chanyeol ruthlessly killed the man in cold blood, conjuring a growing ball of dangerous blue fire and throwing it at the man without so much as a change in expression. The vision faded away before he could see what became of the burning man, Baekhyun turning to look down at the hand gripping his arm. The hands of a killer.

“Baekhyun-“

“ _ Murderer _ .” He whispered.

Baekhyun stared up at Chanyeol’s shocked expression, skin revolting the man's touch and heart beginning to pick up its fast beat. “ _ Murderer _ .” He said again, more vehemently, seeing exactly what that man saw before his untimely death. “ _ Murderer _ .”

Baekhyun grabbed the hand that tightened its grip on his arm, heart leaping in his chest when it didn’t let go. The blood was cut off from his bicep down, his fingertips tingling as the fear grew. This was what nature had always intended, to create a creature that could overpower the prowess of humans and their brash ambition. He was prey, tail trapped beneath the talon of a predatory wolf.

But there wasn’t anger in the witch’s cobalt eyes, instead they bled with hurt and something akin to betrayal. He looked defeated, searching Baekhyun’s eyes and hurting further when he saw the fear that seized the previously intense human. He wasn’t aware of his iron grip on the latter’s biceps, simply trying to keep himself from shaking or doing something  _ worse _ .

“Listen-“

“Get  _ off _ of me.”

“Baekhyun-“

“Get  _ off _ !” Baekhyun screeched, nearly reduced to tears when he realized no one could hear his screams this far up. He closed his eyes, he couldn’t look at him. All he could see were those detached eyes as he took an innocent man's life, leaving his body in some dirty alleyway to burn away alone. His face was set in stone, drawing upon magic to bring a slow death to a human not unlike himself.

Baekhyun knew he’d only see himself in that man if he looked at Chanyeol again.

“Baekhyun  _ please _ -“

His whole arm was numb, Baekhyun dropping like a deadweight in an attempt to free his arm. The hand stayed in place, Baekhyun scratching at the pale skin in hopes that it would just  _ release _ him. The terror paralyzed him, painful memories of the witch holding him down with black dripping from his mouth flooding back into his mind. The burn of his words against his skin, the cold bite of metal on his wrists. Baekhyun was just too overwhelmed to fight back, crying at the barrage of traumatic memories bombarding his mind.

Finally, Chanyeol released him.

Baekhyun never scrambled up so quickly in his life, running into the coffee table hard enough that he knew he’d have a nasty bruise in the morning. Fear drove him to all but run to his room, atavistic instincts telling him to run as far away and in as little time as possible. He only dared to turn around once, met with the witch’s shining eyes peeking through the curtain of messy Klein colored bangs that swept over his forehead.

They looked haunted.

Baekhyun didn’t leave his room for the rest of the day.

————————————

Humans weren’t supposed to have visions, Baekhyun had come to that conclusion many times already. Luhan had even said it himself, a SSNAD certified agent for well over ten years. So, as Baekhyun sat down in the lobby for the third day in a row, he pondered what could explain the reason why he saw what he did when Chanyeol had grabbed him...and why at  _ that _ particular moment in time?

Sicheng had been sneaking glances at him over his computer screen approximately every ten minutes of every hour, but in typical Sicheng fashion, never tried to breach the subject. Baekhyun was grateful for that kind of respect for privacy, even though he had been somewhat prying himself. The gorgon would always sneak off, as well as his ten foot tail would allow him to, to the back areas of the first floor near one o’clock everyday. Not only this, but two minutes after his disappearance Yuta would always emerge from the front door and sneak off to the back as well.

It was 12:59 now, and Baekhyun stopped his internal battle to watch from behind a magazine as Sicheng put up his lunch break sign. Then he was off, tail slithering off after him as he went off to the back rooms (they were off limits to Baekhyun). But this time, when Yuta came whistling in from the outside world, Baekhyun intervened. Days on end with nothing but his mind as company made Baekhyun do stupid things.

“Why are you and Sicheng always sneaking off together?” Yuta stopped dead in his tracks as Baekhyun dramatically lowered his magazine, raising a brow at the now flustered reptile.

“Can you speak any louder! Jesus child you are blunt.”

Baekhyun continued his dubious expression, expectant eyes drilling holes into the other males head. “I’m waiting on my answer.”

Yuta looked at him with big eyes, sagging in defeat when the human only looked at him in mild disgust. “Okay, I’ll tell you. But you can’t tell Sicheng I did! And you can’t tell anyone!”

“Pinky promise.” Baekhyun responded, thoroughly amused at the mans antics as the reptile made a show at checking the lobby for any listening ears.

“Okay so,” Yuta vaulted himself over the couch and plopped down with all the grace of a lizard. “The storage rooms have the  _ best _ supplies of rats, and ever since I found out about it, I’ve been sharing it with Sicheng. We’re both reptiles, and it’s kind of like this little safe space for us to eat fresh meat in peace without so much judgement.”

Yuta rubbed the back of his neck, shy as he explained their secret storage room. Baekhyun wanted to coo, maybe even call the action adorable. But something stopped him, either the fact that it was  _ Yuta _ or the fact that the reptile's show of affection was a storage room filled with rats. Either way, he smiled. “That’s...that’s really sweet.”

The reptile shrugged. “I’m just looking out for my fellow cold bloodied bastards. Speaking of which, I’m late.”

In typical Yuta fashion, the man got up and left without much other preamble. Baekhyun left alone to store the tidbit of information for later. How useful would it be? Who knows, but what Baekhyun knew was that the newest addition of  _ Occults Illustrated _ was coming out tomorrow and he needed to catch up on all the gossip before his addition would be replaced with a new one.

————————————

Baekhyun was struck with probably the stupidest, most rash, and terribly compulsive idea the few minutes before Sicheng’s lunch break.

“Hey Sicheng?” The gorgon hummed from where he was at his receptions desk, scribbling down something on a little notepad nearby.

“I think I’m going to go upstairs.” Sicheng just nodded, ripping off his notepad and storing it in his desk where he pulled out his lunch break sign. Baekhyun walked over to the private elevator as the receptionist waved him a farewell, slithering his way to the back rooms. He made a show of pressing to button to call the lift, counting the seconds until he heard the storage door shut before jumping into action.

He only had a couple of minutes before Yuta showed up. He was dressed in baggy sweatpants, a loose white tee, and a long taupe trench coat rifling through the gorgons drawers for loose change. Scrounging together a few bucks, he stuffed it in his pocket, grabbed a mask, and sprinted outside. Yuta would be coming from the left side of the road, so Baekhyun set himself a fast pace to the right.

He slipped the mask over his face, invigorated by a rebellious sense that he thought he left back in high school. He didn’t know what he was doing, feeling self-destructive with the overwhelming urge to give a big  _ fuck you _ to the witch coven and their suffocating presence. He hadn’t seen Chanyeol since he all but freaked out in his face, and he’d been on the run from Sehun ever since. Anytime the steaming witch stormed through on one of his murderous hunts, Baekhyun would quickly hide underneath one of the couches, run to a storage closet, or simply hide underneath the reception desk behind all of Sicheng’s coiled tail. It all depended on how much leeway the witch unknowingly gave him.

To be fair, the witch wasn’t very subtle. Magic was seeping from him in his barely controlled rage, and Baekhyun could feel him coming from a mile away. The only reason the witch knew he was still alive was the reptiles and Jongin, the latter accidentally finding Baekhyun hiding away beneath the couch when he was teleporting around trying to find his phone. Baekhyun had held out his hand in defeat and presented the bemused witch with his ringing phone, which just  _ had _ to be under  _ his _ couch. Considering Sehun was still pissy whenever he entered the lobby, Baekhyun guessed Jongin hadn’t told him where he was.

But bouncing along the empty streets of the Witchin District was very empowering, he hadn’t been smote yet and the sun was shining quite brightly. The human sighed in content as the sun's warm rays warmed his skin in soft tingles, doing a little spin and giggling at the temporary freedom. Deep down he knew what he was doing could result in his death, a heavy consequence when he was simply strolling the block and smelling the flowers. But, the Scraper was only a minute away from sprinting the distance, and the other covens that were after him are both positioned on the other sides of the district. To Baekhyun‘s denial stricken brain, he was as safe as he could be out in the open.

There was a corner store at the end of the block, the Scraper glinting at him in the harsh sunshine. It was still close enough, and Baekhyun thought that a convenience store was the perfect destination for his little escapade. Walking into the quaint store, it looked just like all the other human convenience stores he’s been in. Rows and rows of short shelves piled on with snacks and essentials, the back wall lined with freezers.

A little bell rang at his arrival, the cashier perking up and smiling warmly at Baekhyun. “Good afternoon patron!” He chirped.

Baekhyun felt himself smile at the contagious happiness, it was just so unnatural for someone to smile at his presence. He was so used to the cold, calculating looks or the expressions of worry and sometimes even fear. The simple action of a young man smiling at his presence already made his day, finally a stumbling onto a true stranger. Someone who didn’t know him.

“Good afternoon!” Baekhyun chipped back, waving in short bursts as he headed down one of the aisles. There were chips and candy on this aisle, but nothing worth what little money he had. So, Baekhyun continued his meandering stroll, dancing his fingers along the labels and price tags on the shelves. By the time he reached the end and rounded to go up the next aisle, the bell above the door rang again.

From his new aisle, he could see the cashier peak his head out from beneath the counter. He looked ready to welcome the newcomer into the small establishment, but his expression only spelled confusion. Baekhyun peered over the aisles in search for the new patron, but he didn’t see the peak of someone’s head along any of the aisles.  _ Maybe the guy is just really short _ , Baekhyun thought, shrugging to himself as he looked at packets of ramen.

Picking out an appealing flavor, Baekhyun made his way to the freezers to find himself a drink. Sodas were too fizzy, he could get water  _ anywhere _ and juice seemed too...juicy. Hovering by the milk section, he grabbed a small carton of banana milk and called his adventure a success. As he was carrying his two items, he felt like he was in college again. Childish and broke.

The human set out his items on the countertop, pulling down his mask and smiling cordially at the beaming cashier. He’d never seen such a sight, someone who was happy to be working in a dingy store. But to be fair, the store was very well lit and didn’t outwardly feel like a location for a shoot out. The boy rang the milk and ramen, scanning the items under the plastic wall enclosing the cashiers area.

“How has your day been?”

Baekhyun shrugged, leaning against the countertop as he scanned over his day. All he’d done was fall in and out of light sleep until he escaped down to the lobby, spending the whole morning on the lookout for Sehun. Then he lit up as he remembered his new magazine. “I just got the newest edition of  _ Occultist Illustrated  _ today!”

The boy lit up too, gasping excitedly as he set down his scanner to talk animatedly about the latest drama recap from some reality shows about pixies, a section titled ‘We Watched it so You Didn’t Have To’. They were apparently both suckers for the written segment, loving whoever was assigned to it for they had the most dry and satirical humor. They spent pages simply dragging the pixies before ever  _ really _ getting to the episode itself.

“And then, he  _ cheated _ on Doyeon with that bitch Natalie. She’s not even foreign! I was about to throw the magazine when they quoted that whole ‘exotic’ mess!”

“I know right! The pixie isn’t even pretty! She’s just lying through her teeth for more appeal!”

Baekhyun started to count out his change as the cashier, his name tag said Chenle, was leaning against one hand and blabbering off about everything and nothing all at once. Baekhyun let himself drone it out, not at all noticing when the boy suddenly silenced. Still a few cents short, Baekhyun was scrounging around in his pockets to find those last few coins when his bagged items were slid under the plastic wall.

Baekhyun looked up, bemused at the boy's suddenly serious expression. He swept the change up and dumped it in the bag, shoving it as close to the human as possible with the plastic barrier.

“Just take it and leave.” Baekhyun, in his state of confusion, dumbly shook his head.

“But I haven’t paid for it yet “

Chenle looked him straight in the eye, fading green hair fanning over his slightly wild eyes. On the outside he looked so composed, but he kept sneaking glances behind Baekhyun’s shoulder. When the human went to look behind him, the boy grabbed his hand beneath the barrier, successfully turning Baekhyun’s attention back to him.

“Listen, I need you to keep your eyes ahead of you. Whatever you do,  _ don’t _ look back.”

Baekhyun felt trickles of fear squirm their way into his heart, invading his mind as he became acutely aware of the pin pricks and needles stabbing the back of his neck. Realization washed over him, Chenle watching the gears turn in his head, Baekhyun gently looping his arm into the plastic bag.

“Can you tell me what it is?” Baekhyun whispered, eyes staring pointedly down to avoid searching his reflection for whatever was waiting behind him. Chenle whispered a quiet no. “I can’t say it’s name, now go. Walk quickly home, and whatever you do... _ don’t look back _ .”

It was easier said than done, Baekhyun rigidly walking over to the convenience store exit and faintly registering the ring of the bell. Setting a quick pace, Baekhyun made large strides in what he hoped looked to be a composed pace. It took all his concentration and control to keep his eyes ahead, to avoid the reflective surfaces that taunted him with their teasing glints. What was a beautiful day quickly turned south as he heard the clear ring of a bell, the feeling of a heavy gaze like burning weights on his body.

The human reached up and gently unhooked his mask from his ears, tucking the useless thing into his plastic bag that clinked with loose change. The sun was beating down on him, sweat forming at his brow as quiet voices floated enticingly from behind him. At first it was Junmyeon, the fey’s velvety voice calling at him to ‘wait up’. Then it was Yixing, the bokor pointing at something he just ‘had to see’.

The tricks turned more sinister the longer he ignored them, the steps behind him speeding up to his pace to try and get closer. To whisper more intimately into his ear, force him to face it. It was Luhan next, the detective screaming at him to ‘watch out!’ with his voice close enough to his ear to nearly blow out his eardrum. The elf’s voice was terrified, the tone so  _ real _ Baekhyun caught himself starting to turn. It was all a game of temptation and trickery, one with the only rule to get Baekhyun to turn around with it’s ever-changing voice.

The Scraper drew closer, only a few more feet in between the human and safety. Yuta’s car was parked out front, windshield reflecting Baekhyun perfectly from where the human pet's gaze slipped over to the vehicle. He got as far as the side mirror before violently squeezing his eyes closed, heart beating erratically in his chest at the spike of fear. Had he gotten too close? The presence was  _ right _ behind him, the sensation of heat hugging his back like a human being was about to go and wrap around him. They were pressed so close, Baekhyun doing everything in his power to ignore the whispers and shouts melding together as the presence grew desperate.

“Baekhyun.”

The human nearly stopped dead in his tracks, faltering in his steps as he stared at the ground with eyes wide in fear. It was Chanyeol’s voice.

“Are you still ignoring me? Trying to run away again?”

_ This ain’t Chanyeol _ , Baekhyun rationalized. Unlike the other voices that had tempted him, Chanyeol’s was the only one who could  _ possibly _ be real.  _ But wouldn’t he be mad at you for leaving _ ? his mind asked.  _ Why would he not scold you for endangering your life he tried so hard to save _ ?

“Baekhyun, answer me dammit.”

There was heat surrounding his wrist, like a hand attempting to grab onto him. Baekhyun finally snapped, ripping away his hand and blindly grappling for the door of his temporary home. The whole building was practically reflective, Baekhyun quickly finding the handle by some force of god and throwing himself in.

The presence grew weak, as if stopped at the door. The melodious sound of the humans own personal tune sounding out in the lobby, announcing his arrival. Finally opening his eyes, Baekhyun was beginning to turn. His ankles were twisting as he threw his momentum around, temptation winning over when safety was guaranteed. But before he could peer at the voices that had burned his ears with their words, something grabbed onto his arm and spun his back around. His momentum was suddenly halted, dispelling all across his body until his knees buckled and he stumbled.

The grip was painful, yanking him up to uncomfortably stand off his heels and on the balls of his feet. Baekhyun looked straight into the deepest pits of hell, a burning blaze of blue fire. Anger fanned it all, the sigil on the witch’s head burning bright enough that heat was slowly ebbing from the symbol. He was absolutely  _ seething _ , and the human was sure he’d never seen  _ anybody _ as pissed off as this man was.

The only thought that could process in the human's fizzled brain consisted of one word.

_ Fuck _ .

“You  _ left the Scraper _ alone, and you told  _ no one _ .” Chanyeol’s voice was surprisingly even, a calm anger sizzling beneath the surface like fire burning a log from the inside out and you couldn’t tell until the log broke in half.

“Yes.” Baekhyun dumbly replied, feeling like a dog with its tail between its legs.

Chanyeol suddenly released him, pushing him and causing his back to fall back into something hard. Hands grabbed at him, steadying him. Jongin looked increasingly worried from where he held Baekhyun, mouth struggling to keep in his protests and pleas. Even Sehun looked concerned, directing fleeting looks of pity towards the fearful human. Baekhyun glanced around the lobby, finding Sicheng coiled near the storage area with guilt plastered over his face.

Chanyeol didn’t even look at him when he spoke, low cadence splitting through the tense atmosphere like a knife through fog. “Take him upstairs.”

Baekhyun opened his mouth to protest, but before he could get a word, his world turned. His stomach flipped as the world sucked him in, inverting his vision until he had to shut his aching eyes. When he reopened them, he was back in the penthouse. Jongin released him with a quiet apology, stepping back to give him space. But before Baekhyun could process that he’d been teleported, or even acknowledge the simmering sickness from the foreign magic, the viselike grip was back.

Baekhyun was manhandled backwards, dragged like a sack of potatoes and spun around in a daze. He could feel Chanyeol’s rage through his bruising grip on his arms, holding him in place right before him. There was absolutely no room between the two, the witch holding him as close as humanly possible without blurring Baekhyun’s vision of his blazing eyes. Neither of the others witches dared to jump in between the two.

“Are you fucking  _ stupid _ ?”

Baekhyun stared blankly at him, slow on processing the fast succession of events. Last he checked, he was in a convenient store having a nice chat over a magazine with a much too happy cashier. That was the last time his mind bothered to show its fleshy self, henceforth leaving him to his own devices.

“Excuse me?” Baekhyun squeaked, a slight offense peeping through his haze of confusion. Did he just call him stupid?

“What? Can’t fucking hear either? I said, are you  _ fucking stupid _ ?” Chanyeol enunciated every word of his question, words slipping through his gritted teeth like an angry whistle. The numbing pain on his biceps drew away Baekhyun’s attention, attempting to shift back only to be yanked forward again. His head nearly slammed into Chanyeol’s.

“Can you let go of me?”

“So you can go off running again?”

Venom laced his words, resentment bleeding between the lines and poisoning Baekhyun with its toxin. He wanted to recoil from their sharp lashes, repeatedly being whipped with their harsh strikes. But Chanyeol wouldn’t let him go, cruelly squeezing his delicate bones to the verge of breaking.

“You’re hurting me asshole.” The room turned ten degrees colder.

“Maybe you deserve it after the shit you just pulled.”

“Typical of a witch,” Baekhyun clicked his tongue, unable to tear his eyes away from Chanyeol’s due to their proximity. “Let’s punish a petty crime with death and call it a day.”

He could hear Chanyeol’s building anger, like the rising tide of a tsunami quickly closing into shore. But Baekhyun couldn’t help himself, that streak of rebellion was burning brighter than his previous days of protection. He was tired of the same pale walls, tired of staring out onto the city landscape like a caged animal. Tired of being pushed around and treated like an ignorant child, banished away from the adult table even though he was probably older than all the assholes here.

His anger grew to match Chanyeol’s own, much hotter than Chanyeol’s cold annoyance. Baekhyun ignored the pain in his arms to push his nose against the Chanyeol’s, lips peeled back in a hideous snarl. “You can’t tell me what to, I’m not your whore or your little bitch.”

Like two bulls meeting head on, Chanyeol matched up to the new challenge. “You’re my bitch if I say you are.”

Baekhyun had never felt such great indignation, so much emotion overloading his nerves that it clogged his throat. His hands shook in their closed fist, paling under the pressure. His eyes burned, whether it be from tears of pure passion or from holding a witch’s gaze for so long, he didn’t care to know. Ears ringing from the charged silence gathering around the duo, pin drop quiet.

“I’d like to see you try and make me your bitch, I’d sooner run to Eunjae than submit to the likes of  _ you _ .” Baekhyun almost spit that last part at Chanyeol, as in literally spit on his punchable face.

Chanyeol was red from bottled anger, sigil burning the skin where it was pressed against Baekhyun’s forehead. His arms began to tingle from something other than pressure, the familiar feeling of visceral rejection stored to the back of his mind. He didn’t care if Chanyeol was poisoning him, he was too damn blinded by his own to anger to think past the  _ now _ .

“You’re in  _ my _ coven. You’re staying in  _ my _ home. You will do as  _ I _ say. Don’t be such an ungrateful brat.”

The human laughed right in his face, smiling an embittered smile that split his face like a shattered vase. It was crooked and sharp, dangerous to anyone who didn’t heed it’s dangerous presence. Baekhyun wanted nothing more than to tear apart the witch where he stood, dig his nails in and give him just a  _ fraction _ of the pain the human has had to endure the past month. Calling him ungrateful when he’d all but shoved Baekhyun away, like telling a tiger they should be happy they weren’t in the wild.

“ _ Ungrateful _ ?“ Baekhyun managed to get out between hysterical laughs. “You trap me in a tower and force me to look at what I could have, only to chain me down with your suffocating restrictions. And you have the  _ gall _ to call  _ me _ ungrateful?!”

Chanyeol was lucky to have his arms pinned down, or else Baekhyun would have thrown a punch by now. He was by no means a violent person, but Chanyeol had this effect of bringing out sides of the human that he himself didn’t know he had.

“I’m keeping you  _ safe _ . What’s so fucking hard to understand about that?”

“Maybe if you weren’t insulting me every two seconds I could find it in my tiny brain to try and figure it out!”

Chanyeol’s cobalt eyes flashed. “You’d think it would be hardwired into your brain that people coming after you would equate to danger. Sorry that I didn’t think to explain basic human instinct to you.”

Baekhyun didn’t think before he spoke next, hissing out every word with more resolve than the last. Every word intending to hurt.

“If I listened to my instinct, I’d have run away from a monster like you.”

As the silence grew, and Baekhyun’s hissed words echoed, the pain in his arms expanded. Their own little bubble was so close to exploding, blowing up right in their faces. But all Baekhyun could do was look into those inhumanly blue eyes that swirled with an undercurrent of turmoil and emotion. They were mini glittering oceans, deep pits of pure magic.

“A monster that saved your life.”

Somehow the whispered words carried more weight than either of their hissed or barked slurs. They seemed so earnest, a crack in the anger to allow hurt to bleed out. But Baekhyun was only human, he couldn’t understand what to do when faced with a breaking mask. He did not cup his hands to catch the emotion dripping from the olive branch, he only understood the language of destruction from his world.

“That’s your own fault. Maybe if you’d left me to die all your problems would be solved. Instead, here you stand. With me.”

The hands on his biceps loosened, yet didn’t let go. The ache of magic still seeped into his arms and left them numb, but nothing like the ungodly pressure that threatened to snap his bones. He was sure to have hand shaped bruises by the end of all this.

“You don’t understand  _ anything _ of what’s going on, how much your life means to this trial.” Oh, Baekhyun had forgotten. He wasn’t valued as a human being, with feelings and passions that burned bright, only a necessary cog in the big machine he’d been shoved into. He was tangled in a spiders web, and his savior didn’t save him from the spider coming after him because he felt the need to save a life. Chanyeol only cared for his own agenda, but Baekhyun didn’t want any part of it now.

“How about my life as a  _ human being _ ?” He suddenly snapped. “For all your big speech’s about saving my life, your only reason is a pretty fucking flimsy one.”

“This isn’t  _ about _ you-“ Chanyeol began. Baekhyun cut him off, sensing the impending bullshit.

“Then why do you try to negate all your shitty dealings with saving my life! Boasting about saving me and then putting it over my head like it’s a fucking competition! I know what you are and what you’ve done. Don’t think I don’t know that you’re a cold bloodied  _ killer _ !”

The crack sealed, Baekhyun watched with whiplash as Chanyeol’s eyes quickly iced over. His hands pressed back into the human's delicate skin, stinging far more than before. Baekhyun held back a wince, a small tendril of fear latching onto his heart and reeling it into its awaiting claws.

“You don’t know  _ shit _ . You don’t know  _ half _ of what I’ve done. But if you really want, I’ll show you a cold bloodied killer.”

Baekhyun tried to squirm out of the witch’s grasp, his forearms coming up to grasp feebly at his chest. His heart spiked at the look in Chanyeol’s eyes, the pure  _ darkness _ that cloaked the pools of Klein until they deepened to navy. To Baekhyun, he saw the same man as in the vision. Cold and vacant. A killer.

Suddenly, hands were wrapping around his waist and attempting to yank him away. They were desperate and useless against the witch’s grip, coming to try and pry the coven leaders hands off his arm. Baekhyun began to panic at the spread of cold that swept up his arms, gasping as his feeling was stolen away from his arms completely. He grew still, eyes widening where they stayed locked with Chanyeol’s.

Sehun was behind Chanyeol, attempting to talk him off the cliff. He was whispering hurriedly into his ear, hand wrapped around his right forearm with frenzied eyes going back and forth between his friend and the human. That left Jongin to be the arms around Baekhyun, unable to teleport him away with the cobalt witch still holding contact with his skin. The cold continued its invasion over his body, inching towards his heart with frightening speed.

Whatever Sehun was trying to say wasn’t working, his pleading eyes unable to penetrate whatever trance the coven leader was in. Jongin was more panicked now, probably regret of not stepping in sooner. But no matter how distressed he was, or how many times he tried to pry off the hands that were poisoning Baekhyun, nothing changed.

“Chanyeol.” Baekhyun whispered, chest tight with cold and fear. “Let...me...go.”

His teeth chattered, and even with fear pungent in his veins, he felt his own heart start to slow. The cold was closing in. “Please...”

Baekhyun closed his eyes, squeezing them shut with the fight dying out with him. Then, suddenly, the hands let go.

Not wasting a second, Baekhyun felt his stomach churn as the floor left his feet. Opening his eyes, he found vast blue skies with dots of whipped white clouds. They floated along the sky like colorless cotton candy, the ground beneath his feet uneven and bulbous. Jongin gently set him on the ground of loose pebbles, guiding him to lay on his back. Baekhyun gripped his stomach as the aches set in, the first sign of magic fever.

“I’m sorry...I wish I could lessen your suffering. But we all know the only cure to magic fever is to ride it out.” Jongin swept his hand through the human's brunette hair, admiring how the strands had become more vibrant since the expulsion ritual.

Baekhyun liked to give credit where credit was due, and he had to give it to Jongin. There wasn’t one time where the witch had been jaded or snappish with him, always genuine and treating him like an actual human being. He carried the traits of secrecy like his fellow witches, but he didn’t pry into his scarce privacy when he felt entitled to. Nor did he take any moment to talk down to him and make him feel like shit. Jongin was just...Jongin.

“‘S fine.” Baekhyun slurred, already feeling the symptoms of nausea and chills rack his body. The afternoon sun felt good on his sickly skin, chasing away a few bits of the chills. He ended up falling in and out of fitful sleep until dusk, the brazen witch staying by his side the entire way. Baekhyun wanted to feel grateful for the company, but he had a bitter feeling it wasn’t because he was watching his condition.

He saw the way Jongin’s eyes would flit towards the door a good few feet away. How he never eased out of that alert sense of awareness that caused his muscles to coil in tension. Baekhyun could tell the witch wasn’t scared of the fever, but of what- or  _ who _ \- might jump out to finish the job. It was strange, seeing such a devout follower turn so distrustful of his leader.

“Where are we?” Baekhyun finally rasped out, breaking the hours of silence that wound peacefully between the two. Jongin turned to him, giving a small yet genuine smile. Baekhyun felt like he was breathing a breath of fresh, cool air.

“We’re on the roof.”

“There’s a roof...on a skyscraper?”

_ How high up were they _ ?

“Yes, it’s where we house our greenhouse.” As if materializing out of thin air, Baekhyun turned in shock to where his back had been facing a quaint greenhouse. The foggy panels were caked with dirt around the frame, a faint glow permeating from the hollowed inside. It’s doors blended in perfectly with the small house, two rusted handles the only tell of where one could enter the conservatory.

Baekhyun blinked at the simple thing, which quite frankly, looked cheap. It was a shabby shed in comparison to the rest of the building, and nowhere near as large as Baekhyun would believe a witch’s supply house to be. Clearly seeing Baekhyun’s visible unimpressed look, Jongin laughed and pushed himself off the ground. He held out a hand, to which Baekhyun tilted his head.

“Cmon silly, I’m going to show you our little greenhouse.”

“Not going to be much to see.” Baekhyun muttered, eyeing the dirtied panes as the witch helped heave him up.

Jongin didn’t say anything, simply led the human over to the greenhouse doors and hovered his hand near the knob. The door clicked open, a small gap forming as Jongin motioned his head towards the inward doors. “You’d be surprised what you find when you look hard enough.”

Shouldering open the door, Jongin tugged his hand gently to follow him into the house. Almost immediately he was met with buzzing insects swooping around his head, a halo of differing sounds swarming him. Baekhyun instinctively drew a hand up to swat at the offending bugs, only for the witch’s firm grip to hold onto his wrist.

“I wouldn’t advise swatting at sprites if I were you.”  _ Sprites _ ?

When Jongin began to shoo away all the buzzing, Baekhyun was able to focus on the tiny creatures. Sure enough, they were sprites in their purest form. Sprites were naturally tiny creatures, easily mistaken for bugs, and nearly extinct. Their tiny size made them very easy to accidentally kill, and many adapted to grow into a humanoid form like Minseok. Though, the humanoid sprite was only a sprite by name and power. Unfortunately, he lost many of his abilities when adapting. It was a decision many first generation sprites made to survive, many too young to remember what kind of abilities they lost.

One of the biggest were their wings.

The sprites still stubbornly buzzing around his head had wings that beat nearly as fast as a hummingbirds, their green skin making them easily blend into their surroundings. The wings were all sorts of shapes and colors, Baekhyun able to see one sprites butterfly-like wings when she stood on Jongin’s shoulder to speak in her high pitched native tongue of Roohee.

There were at least half a dozen sprites attempting to speak to him in Roohee, their squeaky voices barraging his eardrums and conjuring back his headache. Sensing the struggle through Baekhyun’s clearly overwhelmed expression, Jongin explained to them that he couldn’t understand them, sending them away. But it didn’t stop the overly zealous bumblebee creatures from gathering flowers, twigs, and leaves to weave into Baekhyun’s hair.

The human sighed as he felt their tiny hands tug at his brunette strands, creating their own version of a flower crown at the human's expense. Jongin was laughing like a broken bottle of window cleaner, bent over on his knees at the occult's innocent act.

“Oh, Sehun’s going to hate you.” The witch gasped in between giggles, clutching his stomach and wiping away tears of glee. Baekhyun gave him an exhausted look, too tired to bother looking confused.

“Why should he hate me more than he already does?”

Jongin straightened, the sprite from before settling back onto his shoulder. She had pink hair pulled back into a tight bun, flower petals held together by lengths of greenery made for a ridiculously adorable outfit. Baekhyun should tell Jongdae what he’s missing with his boyfriends pure form, even if it was a frost sprite.

“Sprites are  _ extremely _ picky creatures, they’re stringent on who they approve of in their gardens and who they do  _ not _ approve of. Sehun is one of  _ many _ people who are not approved, and there’s not a day that goes by that it doesn’t piss him off.”

Baekhyun snorted unappealingly. “Great, another reason for that man to hate me. Because he clearly needs more!”

He threw his hands up in defeat, earning him a chorus of displeased cries. He hastily apologized, crossing his arms as he became slave to the sprite's antics.

“You should be honored, really.” Jongin pointed towards his hair. “It’s a show of great respect for nature sprites to give you their flowers, especially in such a showy way.”

Baekhyun felt heat rise to his cheeks, resisting the urge to reach his hands up and comb his fingers through his hair. Disgruntled creatures the size of bugs that came in gaggles all annoyed at him for ruining their work sounded like the perfect recipe for disaster.

“Whatever, they probably just like humans or something.”

“Not that they see many humans, but I can guarantee if we brought any in here they would  _ not _ be welcomed. Humans were the ones who destroyed their habitat, Chanyeol gave them a home and purpose up in this greenhouse.”

That made Baekhyun feel vaguely uncomfortable, desperately wanting his head to himself and for the small creatures to find interest in the witch beside him. He never did well with large amounts of attention or doting, used to being the fly on the wall and independent by nature. There really was no reason for these creatures to take such a quick liking to him, but he didn’t want to test their patience. Instead, he took a slow look around the greenhouse.

He was, to say the least, in awe. The greenhouse had to be magic, there was no other way to explain the expansive sprawling gardens that went on for as far as the eye could see. His vision strained, his brain hurt. Colorful batches of flowers mixed with heaps of herbs covered the ground, twisting vines of all varieties crawled up the sides of the house's green panels. There was only rich earth to line the floor, no concrete paths to pave the way through the artificial forest. Everything is a wild yet beautiful kind of chaos, something inexplicably  _ enchanting _ about it all.

Rows and rows of messy berry bushes erupted between crystalline flowers and plants whose petals dripped pearls and breathed fire. It was a carnival of treats and goodies, all the wonders in the world right in front of him and going no higher than his knee. Jongin let him gap in awe, a complete one-eighty from his previously judgy expression. Watching in soft appreciation as Baekhyun kneeled down and stroked the petals of a pastel pink flower, the budding plant unfurling it’s dark tips outward. It was all worth seeing the fear and sickness wash away, replaced by awe and childish joy.

Baekhyun was quick to steal away deeper into the gardens, the sprites following after him with equal zeal. One sprite in particular, zipped around his head and grabbed onto one of his fingers in a tight hug. Baekhyun didn’t notice, the sensation like a mosquito landing on his skin.

Jongin stayed by the entrance, watching the horde of sprites ignore their duties at the newcomer. They had finished their makeshift flower crown, gentle blues and greens woven into his dark hair with pops of yellow and lavender mixed in. Jongin could truly see a difference in the human, skin returning to its tawny coloring and bruise colored under eyes receding. He looked more healthy by the day, more  _ human _ .

To a witch like Jongin, Baekhyun was one of the most terrifying types of human. Strikingly beautiful without knowing it, cunning when he wants something and usually gets what he aspires for. He may not be ruthless, but he was dangerous in the way that he didn’t think he was. Stubborn and independent to a fault, proud but not afraid to ask for help. The kind who either feels strong emotion all at once, or falls down  _ hard _ . Left with nothing but a husk of what they used to be, sucking themselves into a cyclone of their own depression and tearing down everyone else with them.

Those were the types that brought down even the most powerful witches, disarming them with loving smiles and weakening their walls with their vibrant souls. Jongin feared what they brought into their home. For the human could either bring prosperity and happiness, or a self-destruction that could devastate on a magnitude so much greater than he could ever know. He could destroy them all.

Baekhyun giggled as a sprite burst from a flower and sneezed pollen over her fellow occults, watching their ensuing argument with great amusement. He was a firecracker, bright and blinding. Jongin just hoped he didn’t burn out.

“You can stay here until you feel like you can go back to the penthouse, I don’t think anyone will bother you up here.”

“You’re leaving already?” Baekhyun turned to pout, looking childish in his colorful getup. The sprites whined too, extra unhappy as their new companion was discontent.

“I’m sorry, but I do have duties to attend to. I’ll check in later, how's that?”

Baekhyun made a show of thinking, tapping his chin theatrically. Sprites landed in his hair and burrowed into the fluffy strands to sleep, the laziest ones out in seconds. “I guess I can make that arrangement work.”

Jongin smiled and waved goodbye at the crying sprites, plunking the one off his shoulder so she wouldn’t stow away. He slipped out of the greenhouse doors and was gone. But Baekhyun was used to being alone, content with admiring the floating fairy lights that kept the place lit during the night. They were balls of captured light encapsulated in dark wire, strung about the entire ceiling like obese stars. He reached his hand out, as if to touch the stars, when he noticed the sprite desperately trying to get his attention.

“Oh? Hello little one.” The sprite was taller than the rest spanning past both of his fingers joints. She had unruly lavender hair, wild waves in disarray from her attempts to get his attention. She hissed intimidatingly at the name, but Baekhyun wasn’t affected by her warning. “Can I help you?”

She rolled her eyes, as if to say ‘now you ask?’. She had sharp wings, the forewing and hindwing tapering off to abrupt points. The transparent purple wings fluttered to life as the sprite hovered right in front of his face, pointed ears and sharp cheekbones evident so close to the human. She pointed over to the other side of the gardens, aggressively motioning to something near the middle of the vast greenhouse. “Do you want to show me something?”

The sprite stood on his nose and flicked his head, but Baekhyun felt nothing. He’d take that as an obvious yes, standing up from where he’d been admiring the lights. Letting the small occult slowly lead him to the other side of the house, he took careful consideration in not trampling the sprite's hard work. Tiptoeing around brambles and delicate sprouts, Baekhyun eventually made it over to the smallest clearing. He wouldn’t have been able to notice the small spot if he weren’t kneeling right next to it, a dull blue bud wilting all by its lonesome.

The flower was only a few inches high, and by no means a large blossom. The tips of its closed bud were a dead brown, all its leaves save for two lying crippled by its roots. The sprite stood next to the flower and knocked her knuckles against the stem, one of its two leaves falling pitifully to the ground. Baekhyun had never felt so sad for a plant, frowning at the only dying plant amidst rows of vibrant greenery.

“What’s wrong with it?” Baekhyun sat back on his haunches, tilting his head calculatingly at the plant as if it were a complex equation waiting to be solved. The sprite only made large gestures to the plant, speaking rapid Roohee. The human simply looked lost, shaking his head slowly in defeat. In frustration, the small occult leapt onto his finger and jumped aggressively on it. Then, returned to the stem of the flower and pointed.

Baekhyun shrugged, there were crazier things he could do on a weekday. Reaching forward, he brushed the soft velvet of the plant's stem, dragging delicate touches up to the very tips of the dying plant. Light began to flow beneath his touch, the xylem and phloem flooding with a bluish glow. Baekhyun watched in amazement as the petals of the flower grew a vibrant shade of indigo, light spilling past the unfurling lips of the blossoming petals.

The petals hardened as they fully blossomed, solidifying to a glowing crystal with weighed anthers of diamond. Many layers of different indigo shaded petals grew from above the sepal, like a dozen layered skirts. All of it resulting in the grandest flower of them all, young velvety petals holding up the older, crystalline ones. Baekhyun could see every colored vein in the glass, each fine detail of the frozen petals.

Baekhyun cupped the beautiful plant under his hands, feeling the weight of the small but mighty plant. It had to be the most beautiful and unique one in the entire garden, and it had blossomed for him.

————————————

Chanyeol stood outside the greenhouse with Sehun, the silver witch having caught Jongin leaving the rooftop without the latter knowing. After Jongin had teleported the human away, Chanyeol broke down in his episode. The guilt was palpable, the witch tearing himself apart for ever using his power to hurt such a defenseless being. Human or not, they were all the same in Chanyeol’s eyes.

Sehun hadn’t the slightest clue how Baekhyun had come to find out about Chanyeol’s past, the coven leader had always been secretive of his darker days, even to Sehun. The silver witch knew his friend had to do some cruel things to survive, to prove his worth to other covens. Chanyeol had never liked it, the darkness that threatened to pull him under akin to struggling against a riptide. But witches communicated through a complex language, one of magic and tradition. If Chanyeol were to be a feared and respected coven leader, he had to do things others weren’t willing to do.

It’s not something humans, or even other occults, understood. Sehun didn’t expect Baekhyun to, having wanted to pounce the human himself when he jabbed directly into one of the witch’s deepest wounds. The worst part? Sehun knew Baekhyun didn’t know just how much that had affected his friend. Another reason he hated humans, they were so destructive and reckless even without knowing they were being such. They only cared about  _ winning _ , even in their petty little minds, it was all about winning.

Sehun had to pick up the pieces of his leader and put him back together again, insisting that he go and talk with the human before a permanent divide could form. The explosion between the duo was formed from miscommunications and assumptions, and even if Sehun wanted to kill Baekhyun himself, he couldn’t let his friend suffer any longer. He’d just taken his anger out on Jongin, poor Sicheng had practically shrunken into himself under the wraith of Chanyeol after the latter found out Baekhyun was missing. To say Yuta wasn’t very happy with either Sehun or Chanyeol, would be an understatement.

Chanyeol, tattered and beaten by no one but himself, had allowed himself to be dragged to the roof. He didn’t know how he could face Baekhyun after the stunt he pulled, how he could ever gain his trust or forgiveness. He knew he wasn’t worth either, wallowing in his own pity as his younger underling had to lead him around like a tired mother. No matter how many times he tried to string together an apology or an olive branch, both collapsed in a heap of mistakes and flimsy excuses. There was no way around it anymore, he’d have to give it to Baekhyun straight. He could no longer hide away parts of himself and his coven, or he would be risking Baekhyun succumbing to his own rash impulses.

They’d barely missed Jongin, the duo immediately hopping into the elevator and reaching the rooftop. Now they both stood outside the greenhouse, Sehun the mother forcing his guilty child to apologize to the kid he’d hurt. While Chanyeol perfectly acted out the part of the awkward, chided, nervous child.

“Just remember Chanyeol, you’ll be turning over a new leaf with him. You can’t hide anymore, and if he doesn’t accept your apology, then that’s his choice.”

“I know.” Chanyeol mumbled, kicking around one of the  _ thousands _ of pebbles filling the ground. His shirt was wrinkled and devoid of his usual pressed jacket, his hair falling in tangled locks over his full eyes. He looked as hot of a mess as he was, even knowing Sehun could tell he was beating the shit out of himself. Even if Baekhyun found it in his heart to forgive him, Sehun knew Chanyeol could  _ never _ .

Sehun then hovered his hand over the handles, the left door popping open with a  _ clink _ . He gently pressed his hand against the fragile panes of the door, peeping his eyes in and Chanyeol looked up from the ground at the prolonged silence. The band of light from the door cut across the silver witch’s face, illuminating his shrunken pupils and wide eyes.

“Holy shit.”

Chanyeol was quick to climb over Sehun to peer inside, eyes turning to saucers when they beheld the human. He was currently dragging his dainty fingers across the dying  _ endellion _ , light warming the stem as he went. His face was bathed in a blue and purple light, eyes vulnerable under the shining hues. The human beheld the softest smile, a tiny curve of his lips as he watched the flower blossom to life beneath his touch. It was the kind of tender smile that a young witch would have when they developed their first true form of magic. The smile of someone who  _ made _ something, an accomplished and proud sort of thing.

The  _ endellion’s _ older petals began to solidify, bleeding to colorful crystals and sprouting new velvety petals to cushion the older ones. The human is so ginger in his handling of flowers, as if he might break the fragile plant with his mere touch. It physically hurt Chanyeol to watch, to see such a beautifully bright human in such a pure light. To think, he could have squandered it all hours before. To think, the endellion would have stayed closed and crippled to its own withered death.

Now here Baekhyun kneeled, hair casted in a soft glow beneath the fairy lights with exotic and wild flowers nestled in the soft strands. Strings of vines wove the piece into a crown like shape, a fragile yet ethereal ambiance flowing from Baekhyun like a tranquil waterfall. Something in his heart ached, empty and echoing as Baekhyun looked so painfully  _ human _ .

Chanyeol didn’t know what he had done, but suddenly, some of the sprites broke off from the gaggle and animatedly greeted him at the door. The witch nearly died on the spot, aggressively hushing them as Sehun snuck out from beneath him. But it was a feeble attempt at best. Soon, the whole gaggle was on him like bees on honey. There was nothing he could do to stop them from dragging him further in, the sprites practically glowing in excitement at seeing their absent leader.

He could hear Sehun’s evil giggle from his spot fully inside the greenhouse, the door ‘mysteriously’ shutting behind him.

Chanyeol had no issue waving his hands around to dispel the sprites, they loved him so much he could burn down their gardens and they’d still attach to his head like parasites. He knew it was useless to try and calm down the sprites, it was a small reason he didn’t come up here. Apparently saving dozens of little lives made him some sort of god or saint in their eyes.

“Give me some space guys, geez.” He huffed, slumping in defeat when the sprites only attached to his head in their version of a hug.

Chanyeol felt eyes on him and dreaded when he turned to meet them, Baekhyun staring at him in shock. The human looked like he just got caught by a teacher attempting to unscrew the bolts holding their chair together, the witch looking equally caught in the headlights. Everything Sehun had told him spilled out the back end of his head, a cork unscrewing and allowing all coherent thought down the drain. Oddly enough, Chanyeol felt a little scared facing Baekhyun.

The human still had his hands under the  _ endellion _ , upholding its heavy head like a sleeping child. Tresses of hair framed hair face, eyes sparkling a light brown as they flickered over Chanyeol’s worse for wear face. His oversized button up dwarfed his arms, even where they were rolled up to his elbow. Under the fabric, Chanyeol could sense the outline of forming bruises, blooming purple and muddled yellow in the shape of his own hands. He pressed the offending limbs to his thighs and slid them into his pocket, banishing away the dark thoughts threatening to consume his mind.

Baekhyun observed Chanyeol by the door, tracing where his eyes looked over his arms and then flickered the blue-purple flower in his hands. He looked like he’d been dragged through hell and back, tired and ragged and barely able to stand on his own two feet. It was the first time the human had ever seen the witch in such a state, top few buttons unbuttoned with no concealing jacket in sight. The sprites sat atop his head, even when he attempted to rake his hands through the tangled strands.

They continued festering in the awkward silence for far longer than either would have liked, but unable to find the proper way to break the weighted quiet. Baekhyun wasn’t scared, but he was apprehensive. The two were alone, in a dance that drew them further back with each step. After so long trapped with the witch, you would have thought they’d find something common ground. But Baekhyun was lost when faced with the impossible puzzle that was Chanyeol, towel in hand and ready to be thrown in.

“Do-“ Chanyeol cringed as he cleared his wrecked voice. “Do you know what that is?”

Baekhyun quickly backed his hands away from where the witch was pointing at the glinting flower, curling them against his thighs as he turned back to Chanyeol. Had he done something wrong again? “I’m sorry, is it an anti-human plant? Does it wilt at my touch? Sorry, is that a thing? I swear I hadn’t touched it for long-“

“No no, nothing like that.” Chanyeol smiled slowly, a tiny sprout of genuine emotion peaking out.

“It’s a special flower, one of a kind. It...” Chanyeol’s face flickered for a moment as he hesitated, a smile more subdued as he dropped his hand. “It blooms for very special people.”

Baekhyun visibly deflated at the vague answer, but he didn’t hope for much better when it came to Chanyeol. Witches and their secrets, they went hand in hand. “Are you saying I’m special?”

Chanyeol shrugged from where he stubbornly stood by the door, angled away as if ready to make a run for it at any second. “Flowers don’t lie.”

“That’s not what I asked.” Baekhyun cut in, hovering off the ground and leaning on his heels. He brushed the dirt off his jeans, busily plunking every particle off the coarse fabric. He didn’t look back over at the witch, the forming bruises on his arms tingling in his presence. The human still hadn’t looked at them. “I  _ said _ , are  _ you _ calling me special?”

There was enough silence that Baekhyun nearly took it back, confused himself why he had ever bothered asking. Perhaps the weeks of isolation had been getting to him. But before he could backtrack, the coven leader took a few tentative steps away from the door. He gave one last desperate look towards his escape, and then began to hike deeper in.

Baekhyun watched the witch’s feet beneath his fringe, keeping his head down. All the sprites had flown away, taking the hint and going back to buzzing around the gardens. The only one left was the occult with the wild lavender hair, sitting peacefully on the woven flowers near the top of Baekhyun’s head. She swung her legs and looked up to where her master was already staring down at her, frowning in discontent. She flashed him a wicked smile.

“You’re a demon.” He said, eyes narrowed in distrust at the small creature. The sprite began to move back as Baekhyun turned to stare up at him in confusion, tilting his head in uncomfortable bemusement.

Chanyeol grew red as he dumbly pointed at the human’s hair. “I’m talking about her.”

Baekhyun turned his eyes up towards the ceiling, as if he’d be able to see the sprite resting on his head. The creature cackled, a scratchy high-pitched squeal as she zipped away. Her laughs echoed even from where she disappeared into the greenhouse, mischievous and impish grin lost to the roiling green around them.

“Well then,” Baekhyun whispered, wrapping his arms around his chest and pointedly ignoring the ache in his biceps. “They’re a lovely bunch.”

“As long as you aren’t Sehun.” Chanyeol snorted, surprised when he heard the human give a quiet giggle. He shouldn’t be shocked Jongin told the human, it was quite an amusing story to tell their scarce newcomers. Especially if the sprites loved you.

Chanyeol was too busy scanning the greenhouse and it’s various vegetation to catch the glimpses Baekhyun threw over at him, eyeing his wrinkled shirt and dull eyes. The latter quickly looked back down when Chanyeol looked at him, hugging his abdomen as he traced the purple veins of the flower's crystal petals with his eyes. Chanyeol sighed, he couldn’t take avoiding the elephant in the room for much longer.

“I’m sorry.” Chanyeol said simply, lost as to what he could possibly say to convey what he was feeling. He didn’t want to give excuses, or turn it into something about him. “What I did-“

“It’s fine.” Baekhyun said, clipped. He still wasn’t looking at the witch. “I forgive you.”

Chanyeol stared, baffled, at the back of the human's brunette head. In all the scenarios he racked through his head, this hadn’t been one of them. “You what?”

“I forgive you.” Baekhyun turned back around to see the lost expression on the witch’s face. It would’ve been amusing in any other situation, but Baekhyun could only for sorry for the occult. “It’s simple really.”

“No it isn’t.” Chanyeol suddenly insisted. “You aren’t supposed to just-“

“Then you don’t want me to forgive you?”

“No. That’s not what I meant-“

“Then what  _ do _ you want Chanyeol?” Baekhyun stood up, nowhere near the coven leader's height but feeling a lot bigger. His eyes were as exhausted as Chanyeol looked, defeated around the edges and overall just done. Done with the complexity, the secrecy, the double meaning between words. He’d exchanged many small conversations with the witch, but was always quick to cut them short or they’d be walking in circles all day.

He didn’t understand why as soon as he entered the occultist world, everything gained this extra layer of just bullshit. Everything was suddenly more difficult to explain, something as simple as a rubber duck becoming a complex symbol within a conversation. Maybe Baekhyun was just some simpleton human, but the fluff has finally become too much. He didn’t want to choke out an apology from the witch, his presence enough of a tell to Baekhyun. The man wasn’t a god with words, or even a damn pleb. All Baekhyun wanted now was to heal his wounds and protect himself from any further hurt.

Chanyeol still hadn’t said anything, eyes pleading but neither knew what for. Baekhyun broke his eyes away first, making to walk past Chanyeol when the latter went to grab him. He stopped his hands a few inches short of his arm, flinching back even when Baekhyun did not. The latter raised his eyebrow, but paused.

They weren’t nearly as close as when they were fighting, but close enough that it was difficult for Chanyeol to lower his arm without brushing his hand against the human. Baekhyun looked up, and Chanyeol looked at his hand.

“I want to be more honest with you.”

There was no response.

“You deserve better.” Chanyeol closed his hand into a fist, letting it fall the rest of the way to his side. When he glanced back up, for once, the human beheld nothing in his eyes. His face held no expression, and he spoke no words. Letting them marinate in the silence.

“Then prove it.”

Chanyeol didn’t stop him again when he started to move, watching his receding figure until he was left alone with nothing but his thoughts in the warmth of the lone greenhouse.


	7. Chapter 7

When Baekhyun looked at the calendar on one of those fancy little tablet clocks, he came to realize he’d almost spent a month with the Horned Moon Coven. It felt like a fever dream, half-expecting someone to wake him up in his shitty water-damaged apartment. But everyday he awoke in a fluffy bed that threatened to swallow him whole, reshaping to his body while layers of blankets piled high on top of him.

He and Chanyeol seldom talked after the greenhouse, but when they did, it wasn’t nearly as painful as before. Baekhyun didn’t bother to ask questions anymore, and Chanyeol didn’t give him some half-assed attempt at conversation. He even allowed Baekhyun to go meet Junmyeon in the park outside the Witchin District, sending at least a dozen witches to hide in the nearby shrubbery. Yuta hadn’t talked to him since, his idea of a metaphorical middle finger being to return Baekhyun thirty minutes late with ice cream in his scaly hand.

This caused Baekhyun to roll out of bed earlier that day, sneaking into the kitchen and making breakfast for the two of them. He caught Chanyeol as soon as the witch tiredly made his way down the open stairwell, rubbing his eyes with his suit jacket thrown over his shoulder.

“Chanyeol?” Baekhyun hefted himself onto the bar top between the kitchen and living room, laying on his stomach as he cheekily grinned at the confused witch. “Can we speak for a moment?”

The witch’s hair was gelled back and swept off to the side, eyes still puffed with sleep. They displayed nothing but distrust as he approached the bar top, sitting himself down as Baekhyun set a plate of steaming food in front of him with a smile.

“What is this all about?” Chanyeol sniffed his food, looking precariously at his fork.

Baekhyun rolled his eyes. “It’s not poisoned stupid.” He snatched a small batch of rice off of the side of the plate, plopping it in his mouth. “See?”

Chanyeol hummed, watching Baekhyun’s face intently for potential lies. Whether satisfied with what he found, or simply hungry, Chanyeol began to dig into his food without further complaint. Baekhyun, pleased with the reaction, sat on the countertop and leaned against the wall. “Well, keep in mind I fed you when I say this. But you need to straighten your shit out with the reptiles.”

Chanyeol raised his eyes to give a brief glimpse towards Baekhyun. “But we’re fine?”

Baekhyun nearly laughed right then and there, concealing it with a disbelieving snort. “I know Sicheng doesn’t speak, but Yuta is a chatterbox when you get him going. Have you seriously not noticed his prolonged silence?”

Chanyeol shrugged, looking up for a glass only to have Baekhyun seamlessly hand it over to him. He gave a nod of gratitude. “I assumed he was dealing with personal things.”

He looked up when he heard the clatter of metal, paused mid bite to glance up at the human's bewildered look. Slowly putting down his fork, he had the inkling he had said something wrong.

“Um...yes?”

“You deserve whatever comes to you if you’re that dumb.” Baekhyun hopped off the counter and put away his finished food, making to walk back to his room.

“Wait! What do you mean!”

“Figure it out yourself!” He threw over his shoulder, promptly shutting the door a moment later.

When Chanyeol went to go into his Rolls Royce Phantom, he paid careful attention to the reptilian's behavior. Yuta played the radio, a soft station playing reruns of some pop playlists. He never turned on the radio when Chanyeol was in the car. He flickered his eyes in the rear view mirror to look at the road behind him, yet he was never this concentrated and careful when driving around the district. There were practically no cars at any point in Witchin, much less  _ behind _ them.

Chanyeol had been so absorbed in his daily duties and preparation for his  _ visit _ that he hadn’t noticed the glaringly obvious signs. He wasn’t used to his coven being pissed at him, much less outright ignoring him. But as much as Chanyeol racked his mind for an answer, all that came up was a blank slate. Baekhyun probably knew what was wrong, he liked the driver more than the witch’s own presence. But he had so blatantly left him that morning, there was no hope in begging him to tell him what he couldn’t see.

There was only one way to find out.

“Yuta, why are you upset with me?” His blank yellow eyes flickered to his cobalt ones, but quickly returned to the road. He was fidgeting more than usual, almost like a tick. He had too much pent up energy, yet he calmly drove through the streets with elderly ease.

“I am not upset with you Mr. Park.”

Chanyeol frowned, not at all content with the answer. “I know you are, it’s all in your demeanor.”

“This has been my demeanor for well over a week, what makes today any different?” That caused Chanyeol to internally wince. How had he not noticed sooner? It took someone else pointing it out to him, like looking at a painting as paint on a canvas rather than a scene of a house amidst a vibrant forest. It seemed so obvious, like it should have been something that instantly clicked in his head. Who would see a panting as strictly colors? But that’s just how it was for Chanyeol, he hadn’t bothered to give it a second thought.

Wow...he felt like a dick.

“Honestly...I don’t have an answer for that.”

Yuta slowed the car, stopping outside a crooked little shop with purple brick and cracking shingles. He pushed the gear shift into park and waited patiently for the coven leader to get out.

“I’m sorry for whatever it is I did.” Chanyeol tried, fingers dancing across the door handle. He wasn’t used to apologizing, it wasn’t what witches did. It was his second in less than a month, a shocking new record.

“It’s not me who needs an apology.”

Chanyeol felt defeated as he exited the car, quick to fix a veil of indifference over his face. He had pressing business matters to attend to, petty arguments and grudges could wait until later. Though, as Yuta began to drive away, Chanyeol saw that familiar recklessness in the way he rounded the streets corner like a madman. That was when he felt the most uncomfortable kind of guilt, the kind where he hated how he didn’t know why he felt that way.

It was a mysterious feeling, and it didn’t shake away even as he entered the crooked shop.

————————————

Chanyeol didn’t call Yuta to come and fetch him after dealing with some of his loose ends. Instead, he preferred to walk around the small, empty city. His suit was all dark greys with faint pinstripes of black running down the sides, shined shoes stark against the faded concrete sidewalks. His sigil caught the light like a reflective surface, and when he walked past an outside classroom of tiny children running around with fire at their fingertips, they instantly stopped to gape. The young female teacher stopped her lesson on nature runes to turn and stare in awe at the coven leader who leaned against the picket fence of their one room school.

The kids quickly ran up to the witch without knowing any better, their teacher panicking and swiftly trying to wrangle the stragglers. Hair loosened from her bun and fell into her face, pointed shoes getting caught in her floor length skirt. She looked apologetically towards the powerful man, hands shaking as she tried her damndest to get the kids away from the fence. Chanyeol smiled softly, insisting it as all okay as he playfully drew runes into the air above the children.

The tots giggled and pointed in awe as the simple runes sparkled a bright blue, exploding in a gentle explosion of light and cobalt dust. The kids shrieked in glee when the dust flurried down like colored snow, running around the yard like the innocent children they were. The teacher tried to apologize again as the kids in her grasp wriggled out to run with the other children, but Chanyeol continued to placate her frazzled attempts.

“It’s truly fine, I’m not a cruel man.”

The lady blushed, waving her dainty fingers around to weave her hair back into its smooth bun. She brushed out the wrinkles in her skirt, tired but genuine smile gracing her lips when she turned to glance back at the coven leader.

“I know.” She sheepishly motioned towards his head, Chanyeol’s sigil lighting up blue purely for show.

“You’re doing god's work,” Chanyeol playfully teased, straightening up to call over the women’s shoulders at the screaming children. “Hey! Listen to your teacher! You don’t want to upset your future covens do you?”

A chorus of chided ‘no’s’ sounded out, the children quick to wilt under the voice of greatest authority. Even at a young age, they all knew the sigil hierarchy.

“Good, then make me proud.”

Chanyeol waved goodbye at the obedient children, knowing that the presence of a sigil branded individual was akin to seeing a unicorn. They were almost like celebrities, but with all the respect of a CEO. There really was no way to describe coven leaders besides what they were, coven leaders. They do as many legal doings as they did illegal, anything to keep their coven powerful and afloat.

They were the stories ambitious witches told their children, of their great power and responsibility. Of what they should be, and what they  _ will _ become. They were the stories cautious witches told their children, of their cruelty and insidious intentions. Of what they should fear, and what they should only  _ follow _ .

Soon, Chanyeol arrived back at the Scraper. He knew that other covens would likely see his morality as weakness, that if they had seen that class of children they’d have used one of them as a twisted example of that infamous cruelty. But Chanyeol had been one of the longest standing leaders of a singular coven, no one had dared to challenge him in a very long time. His coven had what many others did not have, and that was each member was either hand picked by Chanyeol, or had been approved by him.

There was a reason Chanyeol has the sigil he does, and why it bore no color.

His reminiscing stopped at the Scrapers entrance, pushing open the glass doors and getting hit with a wave of realization. He stood there for a few seconds, cogs turning and wheels clicking in place.

He strolled towards the receptions desk, nodding in acknowledgment at the patrons who bowed at his presence. He stood tall in front of his precious gorgon, remembering his snarling face with blood covered scales when he had first found him. He had torn through several of his more  _ prideful _ witches when the creature had attacked their car. Chanyeol was on an excursion to the countryside for his most private business when his car had been driven off the road, his driver had been turned to stone.

The other cars behind Chanyeol’s had been quick to empty of brash, newly graduated witches. They were on a trial run, and Chanyeol wasn’t going to keep them for he could sense their predatory eyes on him anytime he turned his back. But he didn’t have to worry, as the gorgon didn’t even need to turn the half of them into stone before ripping them limb for limb.

Their spells were useless in combat against one of the most powerful, and possibly most magic- _ impervious _ , creatures on this realm. They stood no chance, fresh meat too ignorant to understand the inner workings of such a magnificent beast. Chanyeol had thought them extinct on his side of the world, but was wise enough to know it was no trick to see one before him.

Sehun was one of the few members left, staring in horror at the carnage left behind by the raging beast. It had only been mere minutes. The rest of the senior crew all took the same stance as their leader, far outside striking distance with eyes watching the gorgon through the polished metal of their cars. But when the gorgon tried to strike, mouth pooling with poison and scales wrapping his body in whole, Chanyeol stood in front of the wild and feral thing.

The rest was history.

Now Sicheng was gifted a name and a home, scales having fallen away in chunks to accommodate the city lifestyle. He was content to stay within the confines of the Scraper and away from the hungry eyes of glory-seeking witches and the hateful gazes of those who didn’t understand. People were already scared of plain old snakes, they didn’t need one with a cognizant mind. Although, he didn’t mind being feared. At the end of the day he was unaffected, slithering away to doze beneath an obscenely large lamp.

The gorgon looked up at the shadow casted upon him, not quite cowering beneath it, but definitely exuding a quieter demeanor than usual. He stopped typing and held eye contact, a wild glimmer in his bright golden eyes.

“I’m sorry.” Chanyeol said earnestly, internally beating himself over the head at his oblivious stupidity. “What I did to you...it wasn’t fair. I’m genuinely upset at how I reacted, and I shouldn’t have taken it out on you. I’m also sorry about how late I am on this apology, I’m just...so  _ sorry _ .”

There was a scaly hand placed upon his own, the claws as razor sharp as the day they’d first met. He looked up to the gorgon's tamed eyes, and the occult was  _ smiling _ . “Never too late...for apology.”

His sentences were clipped and heavily accented, language a hard thing for a creature who never needed words to express itself. But his open expression and forgiving eyes were enough, like a cooling balm on a throbbing wound.

When he’d figured out Baekhyun was missing, he's about to tear apart the Scraper. Chanyeol had no one to blame but himself, anger breaking past its limits until he could no longer control the force that was unleashed inside him. The first victim was the gorgon, who had just returned from his lunch break. He said Baekhyun had told him he was going back upstairs, but Sehun was quick to call out the truth when he stated they’d just come down from upstairs. No human was there.

Chanyeol was about to lose it, the human had disappeared  _ right _ under their noses. He popped off on the gorgon, stating how he was supposed to be the guardian of the lobby. In hindsight, it was the most dick move he could have pulled. It overwhelmed the gorgon, as who could; comprehend, read, and write language perfectly fine, but speaking always proved difficult. He was quickly shut down when he tried to express himself, losing track to Chanyeol’s fast and harsh words until he shrunk like prey beneath the powerful aura pushing towards him.

The snake had submitted through fear, feeling close to tears at having failed his savior. It had taken days for Yuta to pry through the walls Sicheng had put up, as he was slowly decaying through his own self-deprecation. But after seeing the look on Chanyeol’s face when he came to realize what he’d done, the gorgon was quick to recognize the genuine apology bleeding through the complex words.

“Thank you...for understanding.” Chanyeol put his other hand on top of the gorgons, exchanging a relieved smile with him. He knew he wasn’t worth the forgiveness, but he readily and greedily took it. Sicheng smiled, and soon retracted his hand to get back to work with a significantly less drab look to him.

When Chanyeol reached the penthouse level, he quickly found Baekhyun in one of the two rooms he frequented. The kitchen.

Baekhyun nearly screamed when he turned around and saw Chanyeol standing behind him like some silent sentinel. His mug of milk fell before hovering gently above the floor with its pale contents defying gravity nearby. The mug floated back up and plopped into the witches awaiting hands, the milk quick to stream back in. Baekhyun wondered if the milk was dirty even though it hadn’t hit the floor.

“You need to stop pulling that shit!” Baekhyun hissed, snatching his mug back.

Chanyeol smirked. “But the elevator dings anytime someone comes onto this floor, I think you may just be oblivious.”

Baekhyun huffed in offense, cradling his mug closer to his bright yellow hoodie. He looked like an oversized chickadee. “I am  _ not _ oblivious. Mind you, I am  _ quite _ the listener.”

Chanyeol simply smiled, humming as he slowly nodded. “On a different note, I’d like to thank you.”

Baekhyun looked up at him, confused. “Thank me for what?”

“Realizing I was wrong.”

Baekhyun snorted. “It’s my job.”

Chanyeol slapped his arm at the cheeky response, drawing a whine of discontent as some milk spilled over the sides of his mug and onto his face where it’d been hovering.

“ _ Ass _ . Baekhyun hobbled over to the counter and aggressively wiped his mug dry, rubbing at his face with equal fervor. Chanyeol shook his head, smiling to himself as he exited the kitchen to allow the human to curse him out in peace.

————————————

Chanyeol and Baekhyun had a very touch and go relationship, the latter having been observing Chanyeol preparing for something very important. He got home later and left earlier, constantly pouring over old tomes and disappearing into the locked door on the opposite wall of Baekhyun’s room. The human was uncertain of where they stood, remembering the witch’s echoing words but too dubious to act on them.

_ I want to be more honest with you. _

_ Then prove it. _

Unsure of when to broach the subject, Baekhyun began to fuck around in the kitchen. He distracted himself with making some ungodly form of brownies, adding in unhealthy amounts of chocolate chips and playing with large heaps of powdered sugar just for the hell of it. He sifted the sugar and rubbed it between his flesh and the counter, dirtying the surface and his own hands in the process.

When Chanyeol got back that night, it was to the smell of slightly burnt chocolate and a sugar coated human. Baekhyun had had the sense to put on an apron, but that didn’t stop powder sugar from somehow getting into his hair and smudging across his face. Again, he hadn’t heard Chanyeol enter. When he  _ did _ see the cobalt witch, he had done a comical double take from where he had been pouring another batch of chocolate hell into a pan.

Chanyeol had no idea what he had walked into, picking up one of the dark treats and nearly coughing at the immense amount of chocolate that coated his tongue. Baekhyun misinterpreted his expression as disgust, sniffing indignantly as he continued to pour batter with sugar slick hands.

“If you don’t like it, then don’t  _ eat _ it.”

“No no, it’s great! I just...didn’t expect the chocolate.”

Baekhyun slowly looked up from where he’d been watching the pan fill out. “It’s a brownie...what’d you expect? A fucking cucumber?”

Chanyeol laughed, a full bodied roar that shook his body uncontrollably. He slapped the countertop in his fit, looking like a child spasming in the middle of Baekhyun’s damn kitchen. The human slowly gathered his pan closer to him, eyeing the strange creature before him.

“You truly frighten me sometimes Chanyeol.”

The witch amassed his bearings, wiping his watering eyes and wincing when he got sugar in his eye. Baekhyun evilly cackled at his pain, finding it hilarious such a powerful man could succumb to something as small as sugar. Chanyeol cursed as he washed the demons from his irritated eye, wiping the water away with his shirt sleeve.

“I’m glad you find my suffering amusing.”

“Of course!” Baekhyun chirped, shoving his pan into the oven with little finesse. When he turned around, he found the witch drawing a symbol into the layer of powdered sugar coating the island. He quickly recognized it as a rune, watching in shocked wonder as the shape lit up and sucked the grime from the countertop. Chanyeol wove his hand lazily in the air, and like the fine China from that one Disney movie, the used pots and pans danced their way into the sink. They waited patiently in a line to have a floating sponge clean their dirtied surfaces, hopping into the hot water bath that filled the sink.

Baekhyun gasped, jaw hurting from how low it dropped. “That’s so fucking cool.”

Chanyeol rose a brow as he absently glanced over to the conga line by the sink. “Oh, that? It’s just a cleaning incantation, most witches know some form of it.”

“The dishes are  _ alive _ !”

“No Baekhyun-“

“I wish I could create living dishes, I’d be like Doctor Frankenstein!”

“But they aren’t-“

“Stop ruining my dreams!” Baekhyun shouted, quickly running over to the sink to watch on in inane amusement. Chanyeol was bewildered by the behavior, or how the human could so quickly change gears to go from baking to watching dishes like a sliver screen movie.

“Aren’t you supposed to be, I dunno, baking?”

“Fuck that, this is  _ way _ more fun.”

And that’s how Chanyeol came to find himself watching after a dark cake, pulling it out of the oven and cooling it with a quick ruin written in the steam it exuded.

“Can you make runes out of  _ anything _ ?” Baekhyun suddenly piped up, secretly smearing a sugary paste of his own design against any dish he could get his hands on. Doing anything to get the conga line to keep their adorable dance going.

“Pretty much, but some runes have certain  _ rules _ .” Chanyeol conjured some icing out of thin air, lifting the cake from its enclosure to set it on a rotating plate. “It’s a little confusing, but many runes can’t be conjured in air. They have to be written in or around whatever it is that activates them, like with the sugar. If I want to clean up a mess, usually the rune works better if I can  _ incorporate _ it into what I’m doing.”

“So,” Baekhyun hypothesized. “If I wanted to change the color of a piece of clothing, I would have to write the rune  _ into _ the clothing?”

“Exactly.” Chanyeol responded, steady hands icing the cake without any help from his magic. “You got that a lot quicker than I did as a kid.”

“Maybe I’m just smart.” Baekhyun sleazily replied, stretching himself over the clean countertop. “Or perhaps I just have a good teacher.”

Chanyeol smiled at that, the grin refusing to leave his face as he finished up the icing on the cake.

“You know...” Baekhyun mumbled, Chanyeol setting down the tube of icing when he sensed the change in conversation. “You said you wanted to be more honest with me, right?”

Chanyeol nodded earnestly, brows drawn together. “Yes, I did.”

“So...” Baekhyun hesitated, but went on when he saw the encouraging look on the witch’s face. “Why are you so busy all of the sudden?”

Chanyeol smiled a tad bit sadly, noting the human's body language. It was as if he expected Chanyeol to hit him, or merely brush him off again. “I was actually wondering when you’d ask. My coven specializes in something... _ unique _ . We’ve simply been preparing for it these past few days.”

It wasn’t the answer he wanted, but it was more than Baekhyun ever got. “Is it legal?”

Chanyeol cracked an even wider smile at that, almost wicked. “I’m not  _ legally _ allowed to say.”

_ Oh god _ . Why’d he bother to ask.

“Now, can I ask  _ you _ a question?”

Baekhyun didn’t like having the tables turn, crossing and uncrossing his arms where he leaned near the sink. He’d been distracted long enough that he could no longer waste anymore powdered sugar, or dirty anymore dishes. The last pan popped in, and Baekhyun slowly nodded his assent.

“Have you recovered all your memories? It’s been a while, but I know it can take  _ months _ to recover what you lost during the ritual.”

Baekhyun crossed his arms, snatching a brownie and finding the overwhelming taste of chocolate to be quite pleasant. “I have, yes but...I do find some to be a bit fuzzier than others. Like, there was this man that carried me up here. Who was he?”

Chanyeol nodded, face softening in realization. “So he never introduced himself? That was Johnny, he’s one of the coven's older members in terms of time here. He had belonged in another coven, but we quickly stole him away from them.”

Baekhyun nodded, slotting the name next to the faceless man's voice. He’d have to personally meet and thank the witch. Although their meeting was brief, he had a feeling the kind man would make for lovely company. At the answered question, more began to float to the surface of Baekhyun’s mind. Some were more heavy than others, and the human didn’t want to sour their good evening.

“That sigil on your head, what does it mean? I know it means you’re in charge or whatever, but what does it  _ really _ mean?” Baekhyun left out his question about how the strange insignia didn’t have color like the rest he’d seen. After a quick, illegal, google search, he’d found that all sigils had assigned colors. Nothing accounted for Chanyeol’s peculiarity.

The witch reached up to tentatively touch his sigil, the insignia lighting up the faintest blue at the contact. “I’m a little  _ different _ than most coven leaders. While in all cases sigils are earned through killing the previous brander, I’ve had mine since birth.”

“Since  _ birth _ ?” Baekhyun exclaimed, incredulous. “You just said you had to kill a man to get one!”

“I also said I was different.” Chanyeol pointed out, tapping his iridescent sigil. “For some reason, I was not born with a bare head. All covens either have been around since the beginning of time, or somehow a witch powerful enough erected a new one. But the latter hasn’t happened since the dark ages, and those were  _ very _ unstable.”

“Okay, wait.” Baekhyun brought his hands around in a large and sweeping praying motion, breathing deeply through his nose as he tried to process. “So, you’re saying that that sigil on your head has always been there? And you, what, created your own coven?”

“Pretty much.” Chanyeol clasped his hands in a loud  _ pop _ . “It’s why my coven doesn’t consist of purely witches, I handpicked most myself and those went out and sought out other creatures with my approval. It’s also why I’m one of the big three, my coven is large and loyal. It makes me  _ extremely _ powerful.”

Baekhyun could envision that. His parents had always told him to stay away from witches, wiggled horror tales into his bedtime stories of the savagery of blood oath covens. Whispered tales of their ruthless killings and heinous rituals that involved human sacrifices. It was so bad, that when he entered middle school, most of the kids were already trying to get laid so they couldn’t be sacrificial virgins.

Although, now that he was learning about the inner-workings of the witch hierarchy, they didn’t seem so savage anymore. Sure, most were cruel beings at heart, but everything stemmed from power that originated from a sigil. The best part?  _ Anyone _ , no matter the age or skill set, could come to gain that very sigil. No wonder so many witches had been recorded to be at war, having an entire coven overthrown and thrust into chaos because of the ascension of a new leader would do that to  _ any _ society.

Baekhyun suddenly wondered what the other covens had to look like, shuddering at the thought of hundreds of witches looking over their backs with distrustful and lustful eyes. He wondered how many wanted that kind of power, just how  _ many _ were hungry to sink their knife into a fellow witch’s back to absorb that  _ authority _ ? Suddenly, Chanyeol seemed a saint in his crisp white shirt and civilized eyes.

“No offense Chanyeol, but that only makes me dislike witches more.”

The coven leader only laughed heartily, carefree in the way his shoulders were eased of tension. The communication that flowed between them went from a pitiful stream tilting on the edge of drought, to a slowly growing river. Both still had their own secrets, but at least they found themselves a start.

————————————

Baekhyun was finding it harder to sleep these days, the familiar feeling of awareness pricking at the recesses of his mind. It wasn’t quite the same as before, there weren’t unexplained presences in the shadows of his room, nor were their eyes watching his every move. It was general restlessness, like trapped heat beneath his blankets that caused him infinite discomfort. He’d kick off his blankets, only to feel naked and cold, pulling the suffocating blankets back over his heated body.

He found himself too tired to get up, exhausted from lack of sleep yet bored enough to be silently suffering in the discomfit of his bed. Only rising when the sun did, turning on the TV in the living room and quick to develop a headache from the artificial light. Baekhyun even tried to sleep on the couch, rolling around unhappily on the plush cushions. He was getting increasingly frustrated, limbs too heavy to kick out with his building rage.

The human sat up, vacillating between covering his shoulders with a blanket shawl and pooling the thick fabric around his waist. Why did everything in this penthouse have to be so  _ heavy _ ?

Eventually, he settled for around the shoulders, eyeing the thermostat on the wall. Pushing himself off the sunken cushions, he walked with purposeful steps over to the thermostat. The damn thing was at seventy-seven degrees, no wonder he was dying! Baekhyun slowly rotated the smooth circular thermostat, watching with dead eyes as the dial ticked down to sixty-eight degrees.  _ What kind of sick monster sleeps at seventy-seven degrees _ ?

Baekhyun backed away, head thumping with lack of sleep and eyes straining against the new light peeking over the horizon. The sky was just beginning to turn a navy blue, the lines of furniture standing out against the shadows casted by their sleek frames. But right as he was about to head back to his room and try to catch at least a  _ few _ hours of sleep, his curious eyes glimpsed inside Chanyeol’s study.

The door was slightly creaked open, the sliding doors parted to allow just the tiniest peek through. Against his better judgement, Baekhyun crept forward. His thick blanket dragged across the ground, like a long fuzzy cape, or maybe even a shadow. His fingers graced the woods raised grains and with a lingering glance over his shoulder, Baekhyun pushed the door open just enough for his slender frame to slip through.

Chanyeol had said, and confirmed, that he wanted to be more forthcoming. Baekhyun was simply exploring the extent of that statement.

The bookshelves were lined with books, as he could tell before. They were in varying states of age. Some thinner books still wear their vibrantly dyed leather, and others clearly have had their spines rebound more than once. Small trinkets and novelties took up the space between the plentiful books, a small globe and decorative telescope just to name a few. Overall, it didn’t seem like the type of place that really needed to be hidden away from Baekhyun.

There were a few scrolls contained within ornate vases like stalks of bamboo, Baekhyun grabbing one with faded crimson knobs and unrolling it. Just as he’d expected, the whole thing was written in an ancient tongue. He could only recognize a few familiar runes, things he’d seen in magazines, but nothing that could help him string together its message. Carefully rolling it back together, Baekhyun slipped the scroll soundlessly back into its vase.

There was an authentic phonograph near the corner of the room, a French record perched untouched beneath the machine's needle. Baekhyun felt the urge to touch it, but resisted since the thing belonged in a museum rather than broken under a human's reckless touch. Baekhyun then shuffled his bare feet over the short threaded rug, the material coarse and rough under his delicate feet. Slowly wandering his way over to one of the backside corners, a black book with a metal spine caught his attention.

The tome had to be one of the oldest and thickest in the witch’s collection, pages uneven and yellowed with age. Baekhyun reached up to retrieve the book, but found his arms to be only a  _ hair _ too short. Struggling to grasp a book in the relative dark without making much noise proved to be  _ very _ difficult when the human nearly knocked his elbow into the shelf of books beneath the top row. When Baekhyun backed away with a frustrated huff, he scanned the room but only found his possible step-stools to be the black ornate desk itself, or the wingback leather chair that sat in a shiny polish under the streaming sunlight.

Baekhyun struggled to move the ridiculously hefty chair, realizing last second it had wheels and nearly bashed his head into the bookshelf at his stupidity. Climbing unsteadily onto the shifty seat, Baekhyun made quick work of snatching the heavy book from its confines and clambering down into the seat.

Sitting with his legs crossed and knees leaning on the armrests, the human laid out the book and tranced his fingers over the raised embellishments under the book's cover. It had an extremely complex rune on its front, the symbol tickling the back of Baekhyun’s mind with its startling familiarity. But no matter how much Baekhyun pried, the place where he saw the rune didn’t make itself known. The human didn’t bother for long after that, unlatching the lockless book and flipping to a random page.

Baekhyun wasn’t happy with what he found.

On the left page was a black drawing of a hideous creature, like the scrawling of a madman. On the right was the ugliest scratches of language Baekhyun ever had the displeasure of seeing, scrunching his nose at the nonsensical scribbles. There was a blockish, thick ink spelling out an odd word above the picture, the only thing Baekhyun would read on either page.  _ Synthian _ .

The creature was like an ugly alligator, but with a larger hunch and humanoid hands. It’s beady eyes were left white, and in fact, it was one of the only parts of the image that was white besides the highlight. Baekhyun grew disturbed with the image and quickly flipped to the next one. He was met with more nonsensical scribbles and another inky drawing, this one looking like a melting man made of candle wax. Except, this one had more words he could read.

_ Kaemeran _ was spelt at the top, words like  _ dangerous _ ,  _ flesh _ , and  _ wails _ were scattered throughout the scribbles. A number was also present, a loopy three near the left corner. Baekhyun continued to sift through the book, scanning more and more drawings with storage names and different numbers. The highest he had seen was a seven, stumbling upon a single eight who belonged to one  _ Pleockis _ who looked like an angry and disfigured bird.

The sun rose higher in the sky, but Baekhyun was glued to the book in front of him. He grew more desperate as time droned on, sleep forgotten as he searched for something. He had no idea what it was, only that he couldn’t rest until he found it.

Several pages later, frustration mounting high, Baekhyun turned to one of the last pages. His heart stopped dead in his chest, the hunched and pointed figure of a black demon scrawled messily onto the left page. Even touching the page struck fear into the human, staring into the empty pits for eyes of the creature on the page. It had one shortened arm and three long, pointed limbs that looked like spikes. It’s jaw hung low and dislodged, teeth the size of forearms crowding the unwelcoming maw.

_ Traeger _ .

Baekhyun found it hard to tear his eyes away from the terrifying demon on the page, distrustful that it wouldn’t jump from the paper to burrow into his chest and make home in his abdomen. But with great difficulty, Baekhyun turned to read some of the keywords written in his language on the page.

_ Dangerous, fast-acting, parasite, human _ , and  _ soul _ .

This creature was ranked an eleven, the highest Baekhyun had seen. The human quickly thumbed over the last few pages, but none surpassed the eleven.

_ Traeger _ ...Baekhyun thought, bile rising to his throat as his mind revolted against the word. He attempted to memorize some of the hideous scribbles decorating the page, but there were simply too many and they all hurt his head to look at.

Faintly, he could hear the sound of footfalls from across the quiet home. Baekhyun straightened, straining his ears to hear the barely-there footsteps. At first, he thought he’d simply driven himself to paranoia. He’d done it before, driven himself to the edge of madness, stared into the shadows and saw sickening faces staring back. But no, the footsteps grew in strength and they were certainly real.

Baekhyun slammed the book shut, quickly climbing back onto the chair and thrusting the book back into its rightful place. He pushed the squeaky chair back to its original position behind the desk and scooped his blanket off the floor where it fell in all his haste. The human slipped through the sliding doors at godspeed, darting out and towards the kitchen as fast as his clunky blanket would allow. The sun was now painting the sky in pastel pinks and pretty golds, chasing away the midnight blue with its deluding color.

He hadn’t realized how long he’d been in the study, grabbing a random mug from beside the sink and practically leaping onto the nearest barstool. Right as he steadied himself on the tall chair, none other than the great Park Chanyeol began his descent down the stairs. His suit was a darker shade of blue than his hair, lapels a stagnant black that matched perfectly with his button up shirt. He was rubbing his eyes as he descended the final step, freezing suddenly when his eyes landed on the nonchalant human by the kitchen.

He had never seen the human up this early, his exposed legs crossed above the knee with a lengthy blanket draped over his slim shoulders. He had a white sleep shirt on, made of flimsy fabric that left little to the imagination. But what Chanyeol was truly focused on was the composed expression he wore, rubbing his eyes more aggressively just to make sure he wasn’t seeing things. Something with the scene struck him as  _ wrong _ , the witch narrowing his eyes at where Baekhyun had a mug pressed to his lips.

Chanyeol stared for a moment longer. “Are you up to something?”

Baekhyun looked over to Chanyeol, widening his eyes as if he hadn’t noticed his pungent presence. He lowered his mug and pressed a hand over his chest, feigning fright. “What’d I tell you about creeping up on me like that!”

Chanyeol was still scrutinizing him, sniffing the bullshit from a mile away. “You didn’t answer my question.”

Baekhyun tilted his head, expression confused. “Why would you ask such a thing?”

Chanyeol shrugged, as if it were self-explanatory. “You look suspicious.”

Baekhyun snorted in offense, uncrossing his legs to go put his already clean and empty mug back in the sink. He poured water into the cup, washing it out and preparing to clean its already spotless interior. “You think so little of me Chanyeol. I simply couldn’t sleep, some monster had the thermostat up to seventy-seven degrees!”

Baekhyun pointed a soapy, dripping hand to the thermostat on the wall by the study. Heart thudding harshly in his chest as the witch turned towards his study.

Chanyeol seemed to consider it for a moment, the seconds ticking by slower. Baekhyun tried to busy himself with scrubbing invisible grime off of his mug, belatedly realizing he  _ never _ did dishes, but kept sneaking glances too briefly to really tell anything. Eventually Chanyeol nodded to himself, shrugging to Baekhyun as the latter did a final rinse of his mug and put it aside to dry. “I didn’t realize the thermostat was high.”

Baekhyun threw his still wet hands up on the air, flinging straggling suds and water droplets all over the kitchen. Chanyeol flinched back when one even hit his face. It was too early for this, even for the witch. “How could you not notice! Did your magic just keep your room cool or something?”

“Must have.” Chanyeol replies coolly, walking around the bar top to look in the fridge.

“Well, can you tell your magic it’s selfish and a little ass for me please? Thank you.”

The witch chuckled as he poured himself some water, shaking his head at the humans early morning antics as he leaned against the counter. If he hadn’t already styled his hair he would’ve run a hand through it. “I think it already knows.”

“I think it already knows.” Baekhyun mocked, waving around his damp hands in wide motions. Chanyeol smiled as the human continued around the island with his nasally impression of himself with an equally comical expression, reaching for his hands when the human drew close enough to him.

Baekhyun looked confused for a moment, looking down at where the witch fingers grasped his hands. Somehow, he still had water coating his hands, the liquid dripping through his fingers and into the coven leader's hands. Chanyeol turned the back of his hands more towards him, rubbing his thumbs into the damp skin of each respective hand. The human watched in quiet concentration as the lines of matching runes made themselves clear through the moisture of his skin, glowing the faintest blue before his hands suddenly dried.

Baekhyun couldn’t imagine a time where he wouldn’t find simple runes so riveting, always in awe over being able to do such mundane tasks in the span of a few seconds. To Chanyeol, it was the type of thing he did without a second thought. But Baekhyun never had magic, he wasn’t raised with enchants and ritual plans being shoved down his throat. To the human, it was the coolest thing since sliced bread.

Chanyeol released his hands, finding great amusement in the awestruck face he was able to conjure on the brunette's slacken face. He would have to use runes more often, the reactions were simply  _ precious _ .

“So you wouldn’t flick me with water anymore.” Chanyeol said in the form of an explanation to a question Baekhyun didn’t ask. “You’re quite the dangerous human with water.”

Baekhyun was still staring at his hands, but looked up when he sensed a prolonged gaze on him. He hadn’t been listening, growing red when he saw the soft yet intense look the witch was directing at him. This was the kind of attention that left him equal parts flustered and self-conscious, not understanding why he was looking at him like  _ that _ .

Baekhyun suddenly pawed at his face. “Is there something on my nose?”

Chanyeol cooed, actually in pain over the intense adorableness that attacked him. Why was the human so unabashedly charming? Did he know what kind of front he put up? Did he know what he was doing to him?

Chanyeol grabbed the human's wrists and pulled them away from where they were scrubbing at his face, a smile scrunching his eyes and hurting his cheeks. He shook his head, attempting to subdue his smile. “There’s nothing on your face stupid.”

“Don’t call me stupid.” Baekhyun huffed, never missing a beat. “I’m extremely  _ intelligent _ .”

“That you are.” Chanyeol cooed, taking one his hands and ruffling the humans hair. He cackled at the hands that were thrown, descending into a fit of uncontrollable laughter as Baekhyun screeched indignantly about being pat on the head. The human was hitting the witch’s back where he was hunched over from painful laughter, scrunching his face. He didn’t understand what was so funny.

“What did I walk in on?”

Baekhyun paused his attack to look up at where Sehun was standing poised with a single brow raised towards him, Chanyeol collapsing onto the ground as he weakly hit the cabinets. The coven leader brought his hands up to cover his face that was red from laughter, fully laid on the ground without a care for his pressed suit.

“He ruffled my hair!” Baekhyun screeched, pointing an accusing finger towards the witch at his feet. “That’s- like- illegal!”

Sehun rolled his eyes, walking over to tug at his friend's arm. Chanyeol didn’t make it easy to get him up, weak legs causing him to fall back onto the ground with a thud. Prompting him to start laughing again. Baekhyun childishly crossed his arms, he truly didn’t see what was so funny.

“Get up you oversized man-child.” Sehun hissed, insulting the witch anytime he didn’t do what Sehun wanted. When he  _ did _ manage to get Chanyeol to stand on his own two feet, he drew a quick rune into his suit to straighten out the wrinkles. Baekhyun wished Sehun wasn’t such a pain in the ass, the way he was with Chanyeol made it seem like somewhere deep in that pit for a heart, he cared.

Chanyeol wipes away his tears, expression nearly  _ pained _ . Sehun shook his head, throwing up his hands as if to say ‘why me?!’. The silver witch quickly exited the kitchen to go grab his friends briefcase of secrets, entering the study and returning seconds later. He shoved the briefcase into Chanyeol’s arms and got behind him to usher him towards the elevator, fussing about how they were running late.

Baekhyun peaked past the walls of the kitchen to watch the two go, whisking away without so much as a goodbye. Sehun was whining as Chanyeol took the time to compose himself, and as the elevator doors began to close, he seemed to remember something. He spotted Baekhyun’s peeping head and teasingly tilted his head to match, waving in small circles before the door could shut fully. Baekhyun waved back, returning the small favor even if Chanyeol couldn’t see it.

————————————

Baekhyun had plenty of time to himself throughout the day, which meant he had ample opportunity to take the clues he had and attempt to piece them together in a coherent puzzle. He had that vision from the nymph, the huge question mark that was Chanyeol’s apparent apprentice, and now a name to put with his demonic parasite.  _ Traeger _ . He had no idea how to put them all together, but he knew of one place where he could try.

The human spent most of the day in Chanyeol’s forbidden study, no longer staying away by the invisible threat that Johnny had warned him about. No. Instead, he wrote down a barrage of different runes onto some crumbled pieces of paper for later use. He didn’t have a computer or even a phone to look these things up on, but there were still  _ several _ rooms he had yet to explore. The last symbol he wrote down was the complex rune on the front of the black book he was reading earlier, almost certain he’d seen it somewhere in the Scraper.

Tiptoeing out of the study, he put everything back in its place, Baekhyun searched the unlocked doors in the same hallway as his room. One was another bedroom, and the other a half bath. He stumbled upon several storage closets before making his way upstairs, getting vertigo from looking down and out the window wall in the living room. None of the doors were locked upstairs; revealing a fancy movie room, bathrooms, another room filled with books, two other bedrooms, and one master bedroom Baekhyun could only assume belonged to the witch.

Peering inside, the room permeated with darkness. The curtains were drawn, the bed made, and room immaculate. The only way Baekhyun could tell it was the witch’s was the scattering of salt on the ground, runes galore squeezed between each other in a crowded mess around and near the bed. Oddly enough, Baekhyun didn’t want to step through the door. It was as if some force stopped him at the entrance, his stomach doing flips the longer he stared at the formation on the ground.

The human shut the door then, but the runes still burned the backs of his eyelids.

Baekhyun found his way back to the mini library, broad stained shelves lining every wall with one of those rolling ladders perched against its side. There was a small sitting area near the back of the narrow room, a tiny space behind that where there was a break in the shelves. It was a window, disorganized pillows piled on the wooden seat. Baekhyun picked up a small notebook that sat on a pillar near the door, untying the leather bounding it closed and reading the meticulous scrawling.

It was a key to the library, each page setting out different categories and genres, listing the author's names and color coded the volumes that came in sets. Baekhyun ended up wandering towards the blue educational section, picking out a small array of journals on runes. He pulled the crumpled papers out of his pocket, balancing his pencil between his dangers as he contorted himself into the window seat.

Some of the runes were pretty straightforward, but what Baekhyun quickly learned was that even the simplest symbols were secretly complex. Runes were a language in itself, a culmination of different actions you wanted the rune to achieve. He learned certain shapes and strokes were meant to clean, others to move or obstruct. There were base forms for certain actions, depending on if they were passive or aggressive commands. Then the rune branched out further from there, like how a tree trunk had a million different branches that sprouted from the same base.

Baekhyun wrote down the most common bases, labeling their actions beneath each of the sketches. It was like note taking back in school, except this was a subject Baekhyun could actually get behind. As Baekhyun was finishing up his simple glossary for each base, the mournful sound of a knell rang out across the penthouse. Baekhyun looked out the window he was leaning against and didn’t understand how he hadn’t realized how much time passed. Quickly, he shoved the books under the pillows and tucked his notes into his sweatpants pocket.

His socked feet slipped over the polished floorboards of the wide hallway, sliding with little grace towards the stairs in his haste. He was halfway down the stairs when Chanyeol meandered into the living room, loosening his dark tie as his eyes wandered up to the stairs.

“Why were you upstairs?” Baekhyun froze where he’d been descending the stairs, gripping the rail iron tight when one foot attempted to sweep itself out from underneath him. His head peaked over the railing, body a tangled mess as he gave a wide smile.

“There’s a movie room up there and you didn’t tell me!” Baekhyun pointedly accusingly at the knackered witch, hoping to distract him from his previously guilty demeanor. “I was simply trying to find a suiting movie to watch.”

“You came running down here like a bat out of hell.”

Baekhyun straightened himself, quickly spewing out the first excuse that came to mind. “I was just excited you were back! Am I not allowed to be happy at your presence?”

Chanyeol narrowed his eyes at the human, crossing his arms at the human's sweet smile. “Why would you be happy I’m back?”

“Well, if you  _ must _ know.” Baekhyun slowly made his way down the rest of the steps, sassily readjusting the hood on his head as he spoke. “You’ve been looking quite tired from all this ‘preparation’, and I thought watching a movie might help you unwind”

Baekhyun stood before the witch with his hands clasped in front of him, back in that neon yellow hoodie. His eyes were curved as he gave Chanyeol a close lipped smile, attempting to look as innocent as his devilish mind would allow without looking impish. It was true that Chanyeol had been looking more haggard, spending more time looking at different variants of runes that actually  _ eating _ . Although Baekhyun hadn’t been doing as he said he was, his excuse was actually quite a nice idea.

Chanyeol shrugged off his black and blue jacket, standing in nothing but black fabric and shined dress shoes. He ran his hands through his gelled hair, scratching and messing up the cobalt strands as much as he could. He ran those same hands over his exhausted face, pondering for a moment longer as Baekhyun rocked on his feet patiently.

“That...that doesn’t sound like a bad idea.” The witch admitted. “ _ But _ , don’t expect me to not fall asleep Galway through. I never finish movies.”

Baekhyun happily clapped his hands, looking like a yellow seal as he began to hop back towards the stairs. “Fantastic! You get the drinks and food, and I’ll go pick out a movie!”

“Don’t choose a rom com or I’ll kick your ass outside!” Chanyeol yelled after the fleeing human, slumping as he had a feeling they’d be watching the shittest rom com the conniving human could get his little paws on. He cursed Sehun and his poor taste in movies, Jongin not too far behind on that notion either.

Shockingly, Baekhyun wasn’t as evil as his friends, nor had as bad of a taste. He picked out an animated movie, but considering it was in Chanyeol’s collection, it was far from being a bad one. The human was running around the top floor when Chanyeol found himself walking up with mugs of hot chocolate and the few snacks he owned (only because Baekhyun insisted on buying them). The brunette was gathering together as many blankets as he could find and lowering the thermostat, creating his own movie watching nest on the floor of the movie room.

Chanyeol set down the snacks and handed Baekhyun one of the blankets he was struggling to grasp from within his burrito, watching fondly as Baekhyun plopped himself against the seats behind him for a backrest. Chanyeol crouched in front of the human as he held the remote out of the cocoon’s face hole, attempting to navigate the home screen.

“Aren’t you going to get hot?”

“No.” Baekhyun stubbornly replied, snuggling further in as if to prove his point. “Mama didn’t raise no bitch.”

Chanyeol chuckled as he ruffled his hair from above the blankets, impervious to the heated glare the burrito sent him. The movie started up soon after Baekhyun actually quite excited to watch the movie. He hadn’t seen it, but it looked like one of those heart wrenching animated movies that would make him cry his weak little heart out.

It proved to be true, Baekhyun crying as one of the main characters came to a grand realization and the heartwarming story came to its climax. He had assumed Chanyeol to have fallen asleep by now, the witch still and quiet where he had set up shop next to him. But he was still awake, pulling the crying burrito into his embrace when the movie began to pull at all the heartstrings. He patted Baekhyun as the latter blabbered, not understanding a single word he said but quietly agreeing nonetheless.

Baekhyun snuggled into him as the sad ball he was, drawing his feet into him as much as he could with at least four blankets in the way. When the end credits rolled, Baekhyun was exhausted from the emotional rollercoaster. He went limp under the coven leaders arm, drifting off to sleep in the content warmth. When he woke, it was nearly afternoon and he was in his own bed.

There was a note stuck to his nightstand, Baekhyun rolling over and groggily snatching it off the smooth wood.  _ Thanks for the movie _ , it read. Then, in smaller print,  _ we should do it again sometime _ .

Baekhyun shouldn’t have been so happy at the prospect of spending more time with the witch, but the world worked in mysterious ways.

————————————

Baekhyun’s eyes shot open. His room was pitch black and he knew he hadn’t been asleep for long, but for some reason he was wide awake. His chest felt fuzzy, eyes slowly adjusting to the dark around him. He sat up in his bed, covered pooling around his waist as he rubbed his aching eyes.  _ Why was he up _ ? Baekhyun didn’t have any residual feeling of dread or trepidation like he’d usually have with a lingering nightmare, and no accompanying cold sweat. He wasn’t hot nor was he cold, didn’t crave water or the need to use the bathroom. It was as if he simply woke up for the hell of it.

After shuffling around and rolling beneath the covers, Baekhyun gave up on trying to sleep again. He threw off his covers in frustration, grabbing a nearby hoodie that was thrown over the foot of his bed, and slipped on the cotton fabric. He padded over to his door and spied a look through, satisfied at the looming darkness that hung over the hallway.

Baekhyun sauntered through and left his door creaked open, slinking further down the dark corridor to where a soft glow of light was beginning to emerge. The study light was on, the soft cadence of voices drifting through the gaps in the bookshelf walls. Scanning the rest of the darkened penthouse for potential visitors, Baekhyun began to seriously grow closer to the forbidden room. The moonlight lit his way as he crept towards the bookshelves, the voices becoming clearer as he drew near.

“I don’t understand why you don’t just  _ ask _ him. You have your suspicions and he very well could confirm them!” It was Sehun’s voice, his lithe body appearing through the bookshelves as he stood in front of the carved mahogany desk.

“I don’t want to ruin what we have.” Now  _ that _ was Chanyeol, his signature deep voice vibrating through the night air. Baekhyun didn’t know how late it was, but it seemed ludicrous to have a meeting when the moon was so high in the sky.

“Screw that Chanyeol.” Sehun leaned forward on his hands, pushing himself further over the desk where the coven leader was sat. “Who  _ cares _ about the human! You’ve known Taewoong  _ far _ longer than Baekhyun, his whereabouts are more important than whatever fling you have going on with the human .”

Baekhyun’s ears were hot with the harsh words, his heart beat loud enough that the human could heat each vigorous pump in his ears. He tried to breathe deeply to calm the jarring beat, scared the witches would be able to smell the fear wafting of him or hear his heart's traitorous thumps.  _ They were talking about him _ . This was surely a conversation Baekhyun was never meant to eavesdrop on.

_ And who was Taewoong _ ?

“Sehun.” Jongin’s melodious voice suddenly piped up from somewhere in an unseen corner. “Watch yourself.”

“Not you too.” Sehun hissed. “Baekhyun is  _ temporary _ , don’t you people see that! He’s only here so he can survive long enough to testify, if anything he’s actually becoming a liability!”

Baekhyun shrunk to the floor, pressing his back against the bottom half of the wall. His heart ached, he knew Sehun never liked him...but being called  _ temporary _ and talked about like a tool  _ hurt _ . He drew his legs into his chest, unable to tear himself away from what he shouldn’t hear.

“He is  _ not _ a liability.” Chanyeol insisted, tired voice straining against the pull of exhaustion. “He’s a  _ person _ Sehun, when are you going to start treating him as such?”

“You’ve gone soft Chanyeol.” The silver witch spat, voice low and resentful the longer he had to stand his ground. “The whole  _ point _ of protecting that  _ human _ was so he’d bring down the other coven leaders. If you grow too close, then the prosecution will use Baekhyun as a weapon to take  _ you _ down.”

Baekhyun hadn’t thought of it that way, he wasn’t actively here to try and take down Chanyeol. But when he looked at it through Sehun’s overprotective and pricey shoes, it made sense. The more the human learned, the more dangerous he became. Knowledge was power, and in court there was no protection against Chanyeol if Baekhyun got called to the stand.

“He won’t testify against me.” Baekhyun’s heart hurt at the conviction in the witch’s voice, hearing how much confidence and risk Chanyeol was putting in him. “I know he won’t.”

“And why’s that?” Sehun wryly said, bitter words cutting through the tense atmosphere. “Have you slept with him already? Is that why? Fell in love when he fell into your sheets?”

The screech of the wingback chair flying back shattered the tension, the sound of hurried steps echoing as the ebbing presence of magic suffocated the air. Baekhyun peeped over, heart beating so heavily and erratically in the confines of his chest. Jongin was desperately standing in between the feuding witches, swirling wisps of bronze holding back the bright cobalt and shimmering silver of the other men’s magic. Sehun’s back was turned to Baekhyun, but Chanyeol’s face was clear as day. He looked ready to murder his underling, sigil throbbing in anger.

“Know your  _ place _ Sehun.” He warned through gritted teeth, color churning around his closed fists like starving sharks. “We  _ both _ know you don’t stand a chance against me.”

Jongin pressed his hand against Chanyeol when the latter tried to step forward, gritting his teeth when the blue tried to surge past his barrier. Sehun hissed out a horrid cackle, like nails scratching on a chalkboard. “I may not be able to overthrow you, but I know all your weaknesses. You aren’t nearly as powerful as any other coven leader, and we both know why.”

“Will you two just  _ stop _ !” Jongin yelled, hitting them both with a pulse of bronze energy. The two stumbled back, Sehun catching himself on a shelf near Baekhyun and Chanyeol thumping against his desk. “Are you two  _ seriously _ fighting over a fucking  _ human _ ? This meeting was supposed to be about finding Taewoong, not Baekhyun’s allegiance. He doesn’t even know we’re having this conversation, and he doesn’t know  _ shit _ about what’s going on. We don’t have to worry about him right now!”

“We have to worry right now before this all gets out of hand!” Sehun yelled, making aggressive motions towards the still fuming coven leader. “If he gets too invested who  _ knows _ what will happen to us all!”

The silver witch flung his arm out, magic throwing itself against the bookshelf behind him. Baekhyun scrambled out of the way as heavy books came raining down on him, knocking into a nearby side table and sending the vases crashing. The human went rolling behind a loveseat, hidden behind the couch as a large space opened up into the living room with the books out of the way.

There was more screaming as Baekhyun attempted to crawl his way back to his room, acutely aware of the wide slice of artificial light that now cut across the living room. More pulses of magic sent shit flying, Chanyeol’s vexed voice growing in volume as Sehun sent even more books soaring whether it was intentional or not. Baekhyun stumbled up and checked behind him for projectiles, when momentum carried him straight into a lamp. The human desperately reached for the falling device, hands barely ghosting the ornate metal of the post before it crashed into the floor.

The sound of a lightbulb shattering broke across the penthouse, everything suddenly growing quiet as the witches realized nothing had been flying that could’ve broken glass. Baekhyun ducked behind the arms of the sofa as Sehun whipped around and looked through the hole in the shelves, iron eyes taking the destroyed scene. Baekhyun watched in a mounted mirror as the trio of witches turned to each other, all gathering behind the sliding doors. Baekhyun made a split second decision as he drew the hood of his sweatshirt and leapt over the broken glass to tilt his body towards the opening doors of the study.

Chanyeol peered past Jongin as he opened the doors, lamp light splicing through the darkened penthouse to highlight the carnage of his living room. His eyes surveyed the spewed books and broken trinkets, of an overturned side table and a broken torchiere near the end of the couch. Yet, his heart stopped when he saw none other than Baekhyun standing near the entrance of his bedroom’s hallway. He had a sweater paw raised over his eyes as the harshness of the artificial light blinded him, squinty eyes struggling against the sudden change.

There was only silence, the witches watching in tense silence as Baekhyun slowly lowered his hand. He used both clothed hands to rub at his eyes, pouting as confusion marred his brow. He squinted as his eyes landed on Chanyeol.

“Are you okay?” He asked, hugging his arms close to him as he eyed the carnage around him. “I heard yelling...”

Chanyeol was quick to push past Sehun, perhaps a bit harder than necessary. Swiftly making his way around crimped books and shattered metal, the witch loosely grasped Baekhyun’s arms to steer him away from the shattered glass of the torchiere. He directed tired eyes up at Chanyeol’s shadowed face, looking as confused and innocent as ever.

“It’s nothing, we were having a meeting and it got a little out of hand. We’re all stressed, I promise it’s nothing you need to worry about.” He ran his hands through the human's soft hair and fixed his hoodie, smiling reassuringly down at him. Baekhyun was like a young child who had walked in on their parents fighting, and was just as easy to coax back to his room with comforting words.

Chanyeol saw to it that Baekhyun went back to bed, tucking him back under the covers. He was just glad he had caught the human in time, heaven forbid he heard  _ any _ of what they said.

“You promise your fine?” Baekhyun mumbled, smaller hand grasping into Chanyeol’s much larger one.

“Promise.”

Chanyeol hated lying to Baekhyun, but if the latter knew the truth it’d crush him. So Chanyeol just accepted the humans loopy smile, tawny hand falling away from his own as he quickly fell back into sleep.

Little did he know Baekhyun had heard everything, and that he wouldn’t fall asleep that night. No matter how convincing he was.

————————————

Baekhyun waited a couple of days before broaching the subject that had been bugging him since the night he had eavesdropped on the trio of witches.

“Who’s Taewoong?” Baekhyun asked while stirring his coffee one morning, nonchalantly dumping packet after packet of sugar into the lightening liquid.

He could see Chanyeol tense in his peripheral, shoulders going rigid and neck vein popping as he gently set down his mug. “Where’d you hear that name?”

Baekhyun shrugged, turning around to grab cold fruit from the fridge as he spoke. “When I went into the lobby a while back, I heard some men talking about some Taewoong. I’d been meaning to ask you about him but I kept forgetting, he sounded pretty important.”

When the human turned back around, Chanyeol was visibly more relaxed. But the lines around his eyes didn’t fade, and there was a faint a terseness to his lips when he smiled at Baekhyun vapidly.

“He was my apprentice.”

Baekhyun wore the evident shock in his face, not expecting the witch to answer so honestly. He had his suspicions, sure, but it seemed like a pretty big secret that couldn’t just be spread about. Perhaps he thought too little of Chanyeol and his promise of honesty, or maybe this was all just a test. A test of trust. From how the coven leader spoke of Baekhyun last night, he definitely felt the pressure of Chanyeol’s conviction weighing heavily on his mind.

“What happened to him? You spoke in past tense.” Chanyeol’s smile turned sad now, almost defeated. He shrugged as he answered as honestly as he could.

“I have no idea.”

Baekhyun could hear the edge in his voice, signaling the end of the conversation. But Baekhyun had so many questions about this mysterious apprentice, and if it was the same one Eunjae and Kyowon had been talking about. If that were the case...he had no idea how to proceed further. Did he tell Chanyeol that he knew what happened to his precious apprentice? Would he believe him? What would Chanyeol do to the other coven leaders? All he knew was that it didn’t sit right with Baekhyun to simply sit on the groundbreaking information.

Baekhyun stared down at his coffee as he absentmindedly stirred the steaming beverage. Chanyeol got up from his spot at the bar top to set his mug in the sink, moving around the island to stand in front of the human. He gently placed his hands on his biceps and turned Baekhyun to him, soothingly rubbing his hands up and down his arm. He smiled apologetically at Baekhyun, as if to say sorry about suddenly cutting off their conversation.

“Do you want to help me today?”

Baekhyun’s head snapped up, forgetting about his coffee for a moment to squint at the witch. “I refuse to donate my blood or flesh for your cause.”

Chanyeol laughed, ruffling his hair in the  _ exact _ way Baekhyun hated. The latter swat at his hand like an offending bug, cursing as he tried to fix his fashionable bed head.

“You won’t be harmed, but I saw you’ve been secretly researching runes in your free time.” Baekhyun froze, hands stopping their continuous fussing over his hair. He looked up in mild fright at the witch, who looked  _ far _ too amused.

“Don’t worry, I’m not mad. I actually find your fascination quite cute.” Baekhyun colored as he opened his mouth to vehemently object to the notion that his research was quote ‘cute’. But Chanyeol pressed a finger to his lips, grinning as he booped his nose.

“I was only wondering if you wanted to help me test out some new rune patterns? Drawing them on the wall can become quite tedious after doing it for so long, but I have a funny feeling you’d enjoy doing them?”

Baekhyun was unsure to say the least. “But I don’t have magic.”

Chanyeol grinned, wrapping his arms loosely around the human to trap him in his embrace. Baekhyun found his hands to be pressed between their chests, peaking out like little T-Rex arms. He flexed his barely visible fingers from out beneath his hoodie sleeves, leaning forward to comfortably press his chin into the witch’s sternum.

“You don’t need magic to write runes, you only need it to activate them.”

Baekhyun hummed, a domestic kind of tranquility washing over him in gentle waves. He honestly just wanted to talk along in circles, anything to simply stay like this. Comfortably nestled in someone’s embrace, something that he hadn’t experienced since the trial when his friends would hold him for comfort. But this one was a little different, it was lazy and warm. The others were cold and fleeting, desperate hugs that pressed his weakening form into their body’s to stop him from shaking.

But Baekhyun wasn’t shaking now, closing his eyes and turning his head to hear the witch’s steady heartbeat through the man's silky shirt. He wondered if his heartbeat was as loud, it was definitely faster. But eventually, all nice things come to an end. Chanyeol backed away and looked at him for an answer, Baekhyun nearly forgetting he had even been asked a question.

“Uh...sure. I can’t guarantee they’ll work though.”

Chanyeol shrugged, looking happy just to have his offer accepted. “It doesn’t matter because I’ll teach you!”

Baekhyun felt his heart do a funny thing, the overgrown man child in front of him grabbing his hand and tugging him over to the locked door in the downstairs hallway. He held up his hand and the lock clicked, the door opening to reveal a concrete room with a pedestal erected in the middle of it. It held an empty ruby bowl, and behind it was a large rectangle carved out of the wall that held two tiers of shelves. They were typical ritual items like salt, paste, herbs, candles, a few crystals and an assortment of athames. Chanyeol strode over to the wall and picked up a bowl of paste and a candle, setting the candle in the ruby bowl and snapping his fingers.

The candle lit and instantly wax began to ooze down its sides, pooling at the bottom of the red bowl.

“Why do you keep this door locked?” Baekhyun asked, stepping closer to where the witch was mixing the paste and adding in a few sprinkles of salt that tainted black in his hands. Chanyeol set the bowl down and rolled up his sleeves, not bothering to glance over at the human as he continued the grueling work. Baekhyun followed his lead and rolled up his sleeves, watching in budding fascination as the witch began to transition into his element.

“I thought that if you accidentally walked in here you might get a painful flashback.”

Well  _ that _ certainly wasn’t the answer he’d been expecting, but it nonetheless warmed his heart. The witch had been thinking of his well-being even before their blow up, locked off an entire room because of a ‘what if’.

“That’s sweet.” Baekhyun mumbled, missing the small smile that wormed onto the coven leader's pale face. He straightened back up and held the bowl like a small animal, carefully balancing it between his two hands. Chanyeol then walked over to the wall nearest to the door and signaled for Baekhyun to come along.

“You remember the bases?” Baekhyun nodded his head. Everything stemmed from two bases, aggressive and passive. Aggressive bases weren’t always necessary combat or violent runes, but they were active forces that interacted with the world around them. Passive runes were made for simpler tasks, ones that didn’t cause them to stay in the world very long. Cleaning was a passive rune, quick and simple. Something like conjuring portals needed aggressive runes, spells that needed runes that lasted more than a few seconds.

Most spells were aggressive, or what Chanyeol liked to call, active. “I just don’t like how they call them  _ ‘aggressive’ _ , seems a bit too harsh for something like conjuring a medical wrap from water.”

“You can do that?”

“Let me give you a quick lesson on magic.” Chanyeol turned to the wall, dipping his forefingers into the paste and absently drawing a perfectly executed line of six runes. “Magic doesn’t have a manual or a set of rules, witches are constantly trying to find ways to utilize the flexible force. We’re inventors, because what many don’t understand is that almost  _ anything _ is possible with magic. You just have to know  _ how _ to do it.”

Baekhyun nodded, he certainly didn’t know that. Witches were the only creatures who had an ever-changing arsenal of abilities. Gorgons may have eyes capable of turning any living creature into stone, magic-impervious tendencies, and enhanced healing among other abilities. But witches weren’t so easy to record and categorize, each different from the last. Some were skilled in potions and enchantments, others in spells and incantations, some in summoning or even inventing runes. There were even some who chose to give up their magic to live a life amongst humans, and they were able to do that!

Chanyeol ran his hands along the line of complex runes and lit them with his blue tipped fingers, the symbols interchanging and shifting amidst themselves until a small portal opened. Baekhyun wanted to touch it so bad but didn’t want to risk his hand, the very fabric of reality fizzing around the spinning cyclone of creamy orange and saccharine pink. The portal gurgled and whirred, crystalline blue water streaming out of the whorl of color until it began to gush like a waterfall onto the floor.

Baekhyun leapt away on instinct, untrusting of the mysterious water. Chanyeol laughed, spinning his hand before the portal until it shrunk into oblivion with nothing but wet concrete to show for it.

“It’s truly amazing you know.” Chanyeol mumbled, wistfully looking at the now blank wall. “There’s an endless combination of runes, and that was one of  _ millions _ .”

“Crazy...” Baekhyun whispered, suddenly ready to get his hands dirty. “So what’s next?”

Chanyeol shook his head. “So eager.”

Like any new skill, Baekhyun loathed the basics. He just wanted to hop straight into conjuring shit and opening portals to other realms, even when Chanyeol chided his impatience. “I had to wait until I was eight until I could so much as  _ write _ a rune in ceremonial paste. Even then it was to get my father a beer.”

Baekhyun cackled, now  _ that _ was a way to teach magic to your child. “I just wanna do cool shit~”

“Write me a simple summoning rune and I’ll think about it.”

Baekhyun’s lines were a little wonky, too many perfect curved lines and circles for his liking. He struggled just to make a j-shaped line in paste, stepping back only to see his lines were off center and off kilter. He didn’t understand how Chanyeol could make rune writing look so damn  _ easy _ , if Baekhyun had a damn pencil  _ maybe _ he would stand a chance. But after over an hour of Chanyeol correcting his lines and curves, insistent on reminding him the vitality of  _ perfect _ runes, the human somehow made a passable summoning rune.

Chanyeol tapped the white paste, activating the portal that opened to a small vortex of swirling white. Baekhyun swelled with pride at the success, ready to throw in the towel and stop while he was ahead. His fingers hurt from rubbing concrete and he wanted to sit down, exhausted from the single success.

“Get off the floor Baekhyun.”

The human dragged his limbs over the floor in an invisible snow angel, closing his eyes and pretending he was lying outside in the winter. “‘M busy.”

“We still have more runes to do, you haven’t even added a modifier! That was only the one step base.”

“Too hard.” Baekhyun whined, curling himself on the floor. He was lucky Chanyeol had so much patience and that the witch found his difficulties to be adorable, but of course the coven leader wouldn’t admit that.

Chanyeol crooked his fingers and unfurled Baekhyun, lifting him onto his feet while barely moving his wrist. Baekhyun narrowed his eyes, looking at the ground then back at Chanyeol. “That’s cheating.”

Chanyeol shrugged. “Work smarter not harder. Now, modifier.”

Baekhyun whined, thumping his numb hands against the wall. “I want to summon a corgi~”

Chanyeol raised an eyebrow at the man's antics, crossing his arms as Baekhyun flopped around in his little fit. He was pouting and flinging his long hoodie sleeves everywhere, droopy eyes making him look even more pitiful.

“We’re not summoning a corgi-“

“I promise I’ll take care of him! I can keep him in my room and feed him scrambled eggs and bits of bacon-“

“Baekhyun,” Chanyeol sighed, fighting the smile on his lips. “Get to work.”

They spent the rest of the day like that, Chanyeol’s infinite patience slowly guiding Baekhyun through the ins and outs of basic rune drawing. But Baekhyun got the hang of it soon enough, a slow start but then was off running. Chanyeol complimented his fast learning abilities, simultaneously impressed and proud at the progress. He’d snuck in a few of his experimental runes and was pleased with the results. Baekhyun was always so quick to adapt, and determined to a fault. He would’ve made a great witch.

“You mentioned something earlier about portals and teleporting.” Baekhyun recalled from one of his various lectures from the coven leader. “How come Jongin doesn’t need runes to teleport?”

The witch was looking at a set of floating runes he had pulled from the ink of some paper blueprints he’d created, readjusting and rearranging the runes where they hovered in the air. He stood back with a hand on his chin, contemplating his latest mixup of shapes and lines. Unsatisfied, he began to tear apart the runes and start over again. He’d been doing it for over an hour now, giving Baekhyun his own sheet of runes to recreate on his own.

Baekhyun was currently looking at what he assumed to be a teleporting rune, zagged lines making the humans job a lot harder than the summoning circles he’d been previously practicing.

“Well,” Chanyeol drawled, spinning a half circle shape in his hand. “Every witch is gifted with a talent at birth, something they’re just  _ good _ at. It’s usually the first skill a witch hones, Jongin has teleportation.”

“What about Sehun?” Baekhyun pried, suddenly curious as he abandoned his work at the new shred of information.

Chanyeol spun more shapes in hand, looking for a new angle. “He controls wind, he was never happy about that growing up.”

_ Growing up _ ?

“How long have you known each other?”

Chanyeol closed his fist, the lights of the runes dying out. The witch turned around to where Baekhyun was balancing on the balls of his feet, arms wrapped around his knees.

“He was my first friend, and my first coven member.” The witch revealed, smiling fondly as memories played before only his eyes at the prompting. “He was so damn curious as to why this lanky kid of his street always wore a bucket hat, cornering me and using his wind to make my hat go  _ flying _ .”

Chanyeol laughed softly at the memory, tucking his hands into his pant pockets before turning to Baekhyun. “He didn’t tell anyone about my sigil, instead he actually used it to  _ blackmail me _ into being his friend.”

Baekhyun grinned softly, imagining a little Sehun who wasn’t so jagged and spiteful declaring to a taller boy that they were to be friends  _ or else _ . It was a funny image.

Chanyeol sighed wistfully, the words ‘the good old days’ hanging heavily unsaid in the air around them. Baekhyun wanted to ask what happened, but knew it wasn’t the coven leader's place to say. The witch pointed down at the paper, Baekhyun following his finger to a rune on the page.

“Aren’t you supposed to be practicing?”

“I am! I was just taking a break!”

“You’re distracting me.” Chanyeol said curtly, turning back to the wall and summoning the floating runes again. Baekhyun mocked him beneath his breath, grabbing a restock of paste and smearing it on the ground so he wouldn’t have to stand. Though, he quickly learned nearly falling into a portal that really  _ wasn’t supposed to be that big _ was not the way he wanted to go out.

Time passed like sand slipping through an hourglass in the windowless room, the human coming to realize why Chanyeol sometimes came home so late. It was easy to get lost in work, the duo sharing the same kind of determination to get something right no matter how long it took. Baekhyun was working on one of the experimental runes when suddenly, he began to feel a little fuzzy.

Baekhyun didn’t think much of it, dragging his raw fingers over the concrete as he was trying to complete the rune. But when he looked back down at the paper, he no longer saw the scrawled ink of incomplete runes or simple bases. Baekhyun held up the paper, squinting at the single crimson rune taking up the entire page. The back was blank, and when Baekhyun turned to see if Chanyeol was prancing him, he saw the witch humming to himself as he experimented with his creations on the opposite wall.

It was the same rune as the cover of that black book, the red ink looking like blood spilled across the page. Flexing his hands, pin and needles poked the numbing skin. His bones and joints ached slightly, his vision blurring like tears pooling in his eyes. There was a buzz in his ears, ebbing in and out like poor radio frequency. It grew the longer Baekhyun stood there, as he stared down at the bloodied rune that cut across the delicate paper. Just when the tinnitus grew almost too loud to beat, a hand grabbed his wrist.

“Baekhyun, what have you drawn.” It wasn’t a question, more like a lowly growled statement. Baekhyun blinked a few times and found his own hand hovering mid-air, fingers pulled back from where he’d previously been writing the complex rune with eerie perfection. Chanyeol held that same hand, preventing him from going any further.

“Huh?” Baekhyun stared dumbfounded at the sudden appearance of the white rune on the wall. “Who did that?”

Chanyeol looked unamused. “I don’t find that funny Baekhyun.”

“I’m being serious!” The human nearly screeched, hating the doubtful glimmer in the witch’s bright eyes. “The last thing I remember I was looking at that symbol right-“

Baekhyun made to point at the messily scrawled guide sheet Chanyeol had given him, but gasped at the absence of the bloodied rune on the paper. It was back to its original doodles and definitions, front  _ and _ back. It didn’t stop him from flipping the page back and forth erratically, tearing the side of it in his aggressive haste.

“I swear to you Chanyeol, that rune was  _ right here _ !

Chanyeol tried his best to hide his dubious expression, sending uneasy glances between the human and by far Baekhyun’s most accurate rune. Baekhyun was clearly frustrated, waving around the paper as if the speed would summon back what he’d seen. Chanyeol placed a placating hand on his swinging arm, Baekhyun feeling properly patronized when Chanyeol plucked the page from his grasp.

“I’m sure you saw something.”

Baekhyun pouted, betrayal clear on his face when Chanyeol gave him the fakest smile he’d ever seen on the witch’s handsome face. He suddenly remembered what it felt like to look at a face and see a punching bag. “You don’t believe me.”

“It’s not that I don’t  _ believe _ you-“

Baekhyun shouldered Chanyeol as he soundlessly walked past, heading straight for the door without looking back. Chanyeol swiftly followed after him, but before he could reach out and apologize, he got a door slammed in his face. The witch sighed, cursing the close proximity of the humans bedroom to the ritual room.

“Baekhyun? Baekhyun hey, can you come out? I like you misunderstood me-“

There was a faint sound of a door opening and closing, the shower turning on shortly after. Chanyeol sighed in defeat, slumping against the door as mused why humans had to be such complex creatures.

When Baekhyun finally stepped out of the shower, he pulled a fluffy robe off the hooks on the wall and wrapped himself in its fuzzy embrace. When Baekhyun stepped back, he caught his figure in the blurred reflection of the wall length mirror. The whole bathroom still had a film of steam fogging up the top half of the room, a feat in itself for just how large the bathroom was.

Pressing his aching fingers against the glass, he began to draw with a familiarity akin to muscle memory. He cut through the mist with spiked lines and faded circles, looping together thick strokes to spiraling curves in one giant symbol that forced him into his tippy toes to complete. When he took a few steps back, his heart dropped as he had drawn the same rune as before. Only this time, it was complete.

There were faint whispers behind the reflective glass, shadows flickering behind the crying mist that dripped across the runes crisp lines. The steam began to slowly reclaim the mirror, but the enticing voices in the glass didn’t quiet. They grew louder and messier, turning to hot noise that brushed against the confines of the mirror. Baekhyun then reached a hand forward, pruned flesh centimeters away from his jagged creation.

“Baekhyun?”

The human flinched violently away from the rune, quick to grab a washcloth and ignore the fading screeches of the androgynous whispers as he whipped the mirror clean of steam. Baekhyun hurried out of the bathroom and walked with long strides to his bedroom door, turning the knob opening it to the sight of Chanyeol falling to the ground. He had been sitting against the door and clearly not expecting it’s occupant to wrench it so abruptly open.

Baekhyun took a step back as he looked down at the witch by his feet, hugging his robe closer to his body with his soaked fringe dripping water into Chanyeol’s bemused face. “Can I help you?”

“Black magic.” Chanyeol blurted, watching Baekhyun’s upside down face contort into puzzlement. His face was flushed a bright red from the heat of his shower, which was understandable as Chanyeol had been sitting out in the hall for well over an hour in wait.

“The rune is black magic.” Chanyeol elaborated, content to lay sprawled on the floor. He could see why Baekhyun found appeal in such a position. “You probably recognize it because I’ve drawn it before.”

“When?” The human felt uneasy, like he already knew the answer.

“When I pulled that demon out of you.”

“The Traeger?” Baekhyun nearly shrieked, he couldn’t believe he just said that. He hadn’t even thought when he said the demon's name, forgetting how he had come to obtain that confidential information.

Chanyeol quickly sat up, spinning himself on the floor to face the brunette and wiping the water droplets from his face as an afterthought. “How do you know it’s name?”

“You just said it.”

Chanyeol narrowed his eyes in suspicion. “No I didn’t.”

“Yes, you did.” Baekhyun insisted, heart thudding traitorously in his chest. “You just said ‘when I pulled that Traeger out of you.’” The human even threw in air quotations, evening his face into simmering anger.

“Or do you still think I’m  _ lying _ to you?”

Chanyeol pushed himself up and off the ground, holding his hands up in surrender. “I never called you a liar. I believe you.”

Baekhyun crossed his arms, harrumphing his disapproval. He was taking advantage of the situation, covering his own mistakes with Chanyeol’s earlier blunder. It made him feel a little guilty, who knows how long the witch had been outside his door waiting for him. He could’ve already retired to bed, not only had he spent the whole day with Baekhyun, but he spent it  _ teaching _ Baekhyun. The latter had no idea how the witch had anymore godly patience left to sit and wait at his door, the discipline otherworldly in an almost eerie way.

“Sure.” Came the human's clipped reply. “ _ I believe you _ .”

_ Now he’s just milking it _ , Chanyeol thought wryly. Leaning against the door jamb and feeling exhaustion weighs heavily on his mind. Baekhyun noticed how the witch closed his eyes and rested against the doorframe like it was his bed, falling asleep whilst standing up.

“Hey.” Baekhyun unfolded his arms to poke at Chanyeol, only getting a tired hum in reply. “You shouldn’t have stayed out here for so long. It’s late, go to bed.”

“Had to apologize.” Chanyeol managed through a yawn, stretching his long limbs over his head and readjusting to lean his back against the door. He folded his arms against himself and settled comfortably where he stood, dozing away right in front of Baekhyun.

Now he just felt guilty, how was Baekhyun to know that the exhausted witch was going to set up camp outside his door? He should’ve already been in bed, not falling asleep in his doorway. So, the human extended his chin and put the jut of the bone on Chanyeol’s relaxed shoulder, slightly straining himself due to the height difference. The witch didn’t stir.

“Chanyeol~” Baekhyun whispered, reaching up to tap at the man's pearly sigil. The insignia throbbed under the touch, Chanyeol’s eyes slowly cracking open to look at him through his peripheral. The sigil was hot beneath his fingertips and pulsed with the vague ache of magic, but Chanyeol didn’t seem to be doing it on purpose so Baekhyun didn’t say anything.

“If you don’t go upstairs and straight to bed, I’m going to scream in your ear. You have five seconds.”

Chanyeol groaned as Baekhyun began to softly count down, tugging at the top buttons of his shirt as the drawled numbers descended lower. He shrugged Baekhyun’s head off and begrudgingly stepped away from the door jamb, deft fingers playing with the buttons halfway down his shirt.

“I’m fucking going.” He slurred, rubbing at his eyes like a child. He felt warm fingers drumming against the bare skin of his exposed chest, the warmth of another being pressing against his tired body.

“Goodnight sweetheart.”

Chanyeol shoved the giggling human off of him, grumbling inaudibly as he made his way down the dark hallway. His skin tingled where it’d been touched, the witch rubbing at his chest but the feeling didn’t fade. Baekhyun smiled uncontrollably from right outside his door, listening to the witch’s lethargic steps up the stairs and shuffling footfalls over him. Only when the sounds ceased did he return to his room, quick to change and fall into a dreamless sleep.

————————————

After running around the penthouse and interrogating any living soul in the lobby, Baekhyun had come to find out a few things about the illusive Taewoong. He discovered the witch was a  _ boy _ , not a man. It was a pretty big distinction in Baekhyun’s book. The people he questioned in the lobby had never seen the boy, but knew of him as a young, good looking man with a heart of gold. One even mentioned he heard of rumors that the witch had found his soulmate and that’s why he was gone.

Pictures were nonexistent, if you weren’t a big three coven then you didn’t exist in the eyes of the press. Taewoong apparently had a sigil, and while Baekhyun couldn’t remember one on the boy from the Witchin Massacre, Baekhyun wasn’t necessarily focused on the murder but more so  _ escaping _ his own. Sadly, the boy truly was a mystery. None of the underlings knew what his sigil looked like, the boy having been hidden away with the higher ups. Which meant he’d have to talk to Jongin, Sehun, or Chanyeol about the boy.

The last two were out of the picture, and Jongin was nowhere to be found. It left Baekhyun to mull over his information in the lobby, so laser focused that he didn’t notice the presence that gracefully sat beside him.

“I don’t believe we’ve properly met.” Baekhyun startled, ripped from his mind and thrust back into reality as he was met with the wide and kind face of a tall male. The witch was wearing a pressed suit, a casual piece that looked more club worthy than office ready. But it worked perfectly for the man, whose inky undercut was swept back in a loosely gelled hold.

He held out his calloused hands. “I’m Johnny.”

Realization swung into Baekhyun like a two ton wrecking ball, eyes widening as the familiar voice shone instantly clarity onto some of his fuzzier memories. “You’re the man who carried me up to the penthouse!”

The man grinned, pleased with being recognized. “You give me too much credit.”

Baekhyun turned himself to fully face the new witch, finding his handsome face perfectly matched his kind voice. It was as if Baekhyun knew his mien all along, unable to tear his eyes away from scanning every minuscule feature of the man who’d been eluding his memories for weeks now.

“How come I haven’t ever seen you around here?” Johnny was the picture of nonchalance, leaning back against the plush cushions of the lobby with a graceful opulence. He messed and tugged at a hoop earring that dangled from his ear, one of  _ many _ piercings that made a home in the small area of the man's ear.

“I work with foreign affairs.” The man answered, stretching his long arms to rest against the back of the couch. “I’m usually overseas, and when I’m here, I bounce around the city.”

“How  _ exotic _ .” The human teased, unable to see the appeal in running around the globe in the name of business. What business did the Horned Moon Coven even have with other countries? Baekhyun realized he didn’t quite know what covens did, even after staying within one for well over a month.

Johnny let out a deep chuckle, the arm that wasn’t behind Baekhyun coming back to tug at his ear. “It’s not all it’s cut out to be, let me tell you that much.”

“I couldn’t do it, that‘s for sure.”

“You’d be surprised.” Johnny countered without missing a beat, turning his opal eyes back towards the human. “Seeing so many beautiful sights everyday never tires me.”

“I haven’t left the country.” Baekhyun shrugged at the man's wide eyes, the latter temporarily stopping his fiddling at the confession. “But I’m content to stay right where I am.”

Johnny nodded, easy going attitude causing natural conversation to flow between the two. Somehow, after however long they’d been talking, Baekhyun broached the subject of Taewoong.

Johnny whistled lowly. “You’re entering dangerous territory with that one.”

“Is it so bad I want to know who this boy is?”

Johnny shook his head, though he did seem a little hesitant. “You must be pretty close to Chanyeol if you know who Taewoong is, and not some bullshit lie like he was a janitor for the Scraper or something.”

Baekhyun snorted in an unflattering manner, recalling how he’d wrangled the boy's position through a lie and was handed the information by a nymph. “I guess you could say we’re pretty close.”

Johnny didn’t pry at the vague response.

“Well, is you just know, I  _ did _ meet this Taewoong kid once.” Baekhyun tried not to look as eager as he felt, picking at his nails in a show of nonchalance but every nerve in his body was alight with acute attention. “He was kind of short, but  _ real _ sweet. From what I’d been told, he absorbed his sigil by trying to save a dying coven leader on the street. The sigil chose him over the man's murderer, meaning the latter didn’t last long surrounded by pissed off witches who didn’t like having their leader killed.”

“So he didn’t have to kill someone for a sigil?” Johnny shook his head, eyes distant as he recalled further.

“It was strange, especially since he was younger than most of his new coven. He wasn’t a leader you know, he was a sheep if I’d ever seen one. But you can’t just get rid of a sigil, so he took up the helm and almost crashed and burned. Horribly.”

“How old was he at the time?”

Johnny bounced his head as he raked his brain, drawing invisible lines in the air as he mused. “Sixteen if I’m not mistaken?”

“Oh wow.” When Baekhyun was sixteen, he was just trying to pass high school. He couldn’t imagine trying to save a dead man on the street and suddenly being thrust into the witchy world of disloyalty and blood lusting backstabbers. He truly was just a kid...

“Yeah, it was pretty crazy.” Johnny laughed quietly, but it didn’t seem all that humorous. “Anyways, Chanyeol heard about it and took the kid under his wing. That was about a year ago? Taewoong should be around eighteen now.”

_ Eighteen? _ Now that just broke his heart. Baekhyun looked back on his repressed memories of the Witchin Massacre, remembering the boy's pained screams of agony as he was torn apart by forces far darker than Baekhyun would like to think.

“I heard by some other witches he’d run away with his soulmate?”

At that Johnny righteously laughed, an unpleasantly loud howl bursting from the confines of his muscular chest. “Who spewed that bullshit huh? That kid was dead set on fixing up his coven. He thought Chanyeol was a fucking  _ saint _ , wanted to be just like him. It was almost sad how much he loved our precious leader.”

“So...no soulmate?”

“Now I didn’t say that.” Johnny corrected. “There’s no such thing as soulmates, but Taewoong met this other witch and you would’ve sworn the boy had moved heaven and earth from how Taewoong spoke of him. He was a god amongst men, and when we had first met it’s all he could talk about.”

“Do you remember what he looked like? A name?”

Johnny turned to him, cupping his hand beneath his ear and liquefying the earring he’d been aggravating. The metal swished around in his palm, looking like liquid mercury in the way it balled in the witch’s hand. “You ask a lot of questions you know.”

Baekhyun shrugged, leaning on his cushioned arms near where the witch had his left arm laid out. “What can I say? I like to be in the know.”

“Well.” Johnny sighed. “From what Taewoong had said, the boy had stark white hair and a face gifted from the gods. Oh, and he could create natural disasters. Don’t know if that helps.”

The sudden memory of a boy in the middle of a vortex with the brightest white hair and face chiseled from marble popped into his mind. A walking Adonis with eyes that looked exactly like the liquid metal that orbited Johnny’s tanned hands. He had looked young, but his eyes were a storm of turmoil and wisdom.

_ Natural disasters _ , it seemed so fitting now. Especially in the way that the witch hadn’t killed him like Baekhyun had expected him to, instead letting him go.

“Can I ask one more question?”

“Shoot.” Johnny rotated the metal around his skin and squished the rolling liquid. Baekhyun watched with unfocused eyes, the image of striking neon hair under the full moonlight haunting him as he spoke.

“What did Taewoong look like?”

Johnny stopped fidgeting, smiling down sadly at his liquid earring. “He was a mini-Chanyeol, had bright blue hair and all. Except his was neon. Glowed just like Taewoong.”

When looking back, Baekhyun prided himself on not crying.


	8. Chapter 8

It was hard to look at the witch when Baekhyun knew he held something that would absolutely crush him. The kid he’s been looking for has been dead for over a month. Baekhyun wouldn’t have believed it had it not been for the nymph, hammering the nails into Taewoong’s coffin. Baekhyun hadn’t even bothered to come out of his room, even when Chanyeol wasn’t home. He’d been awake all night, listened sleeplessly when the witch got up in the morning and descended the stairs to go off to work. Whatever that work was.

He stayed staring at the ceiling until his room began to darken, the shadows seizing upon him until he could see no more. That’s when Baekhyun sat up, his pajama pants and sleep shirt crinkled from rolling around in confused guilt, and shuffled into the corridor. He walked silently through the stagnant penthouse, feet frozen against the cold stone of the stairs he ascended. The human climbed higher and higher until he could stare out to the bottom of the street so far below, leaning on the railing and pressing his head to the thick glass.

The shadows were darker on the second floor, the moonlight stopping short of the wide hallway. Baekhyun simply paced around the large area, spinning and spinning until he had to lean against the wall for support. His vision toppled, not unlike when Jongin had to teleport him those few times. He just didn’t know what to do.

There was no way to properly tell Chanyeol what happened, who knew how the witch would handle it! For all Baekhyun knew he’d be taking a sledgehammer to what he’d built with the other man, perhaps Chanyeol would even blame  _ him _ for what happened. Baekhyun was there, but he hadn’t done anything but run away from the scene by the skin of his teeth. He was the sole survivor of a massacre, every witch died and the one human that wasn’t supposed to be there had lived. Would Chanyeol think Baekhyun and Taewoong should have switched? It would have been no skin off his back, he knew Taewoong and his potential for greatness...Baekhyun was a stranger who went looking for trouble.

Was Baekhyun selfish for wanting to keep the witch ignorant? Or was he being smart? Who knew how the coven leader would react, he could start an all out  _ war _ between the Covens Three! Then Baekhyun would be the whistleblower, responsible for the lives of dozens of occults and humans caught in the crossfire. But...didn’t Chanyeol deserve to  _ know _ ? Didn’t he deserve to  _ mourn _ ? Taewoong was practically a  _ child _ ! He was barely eighteen, murdered for whatever twisted reason Eunjae had procured. He didn’t ask for any of this coven shit to be thrust upon him, yet he ended up dead because he tried to save a stranger.

Now Baekhyun was going to start crying over a kid he didn’t know, the secrets he bore tearing into his heart like that Traeger had torn through him. The human hadn’t even thought about all the shit he’d been put through either, because just like Taewoong, he had never asked for any of this. What had been a night of clubbing had turned south so quick, sending Baekhyun stumbling down a slippery slope until his world was turned upside down. Now he was hanging in between two worlds, walking on a thin line between two evils with no end in sight. To be honest, Baekhyun was starting to get tired.

The human pushed off the wall, meandering thoughtlessly until he happened upon a door. Twisting the knob, Baekhyun walked in and found the room just as pitch black as his own. He shut the door, stealing through the dark until his thighs hit something. It was a bed.  _ Must be one of the guest rooms _ . It didn’t take much thought before he crawled on top and curled into the fluffy duvet, feeling sick from all the thoughts floating through his head.

Chanyeol walked into the penthouse more fatigued than usual, looking about the immaculate kitchen out of habit. Baekhyun wasn’t there. Not terribly unusual, sometimes he was curled in his own bed staring aimlessly at a wall. It was a lot later than usual, time waning into the early hours of the morning. Chanyeol expected Baekhyun to be asleep by now anyways, but his room was empty. As was his bathroom. The witch didn’t panic, but now he was walking into unusual territory.

The bottom floor was vacant, leading Chanyeol to the top floor. All the lights were off, the coven leader’s sigil reacting automatically as it began to glow a soft cobalt. The movie room and mini-library were cold without human presence, bathrooms and guest rooms desolate. A trickle of fear struck his heart like an ice dagger, had Baekhyun run away into the night? So close to the witching hour?

Chanyeol wasn’t even going to check his own room, the door was protected by human specified wards. Even if Baekhyun was able to peek in, he’d surely turn away at the sight of the runes Chanyeol had laid down. But as the witch was about to step back down the stairs, he had a laggard recollection.  _ Wards had never worked on Baekhyun before...what’s to say that’s changed now? _

Spinning in a swift one-eighty, Chanyeol’s sigil burned brighter as he approached his unassuming bedroom door. He gripped the bronze knob and shouldered the wood open, blue light gently flooding the shadowy room. Chanyeol didn’t exactly expect to see Baekhyun there, doing a quick once over and then snapping his head as he did a double take.

Right at the foot of his bed, clad in pajama pants and a too-thin white shirt, laid a curled figure with tufts of brunette hair sticking out of the small ball. Bewildered, Chanyeol slipped in and walked over to the snoozing human. As gently as possible, the witch pried open the human ball to see Baekhyun’s uneasy face scrunched at the disturbance. Languidly, Baekhyun blinked open his eyes at the sight of a blue light staring down at him. If he wasn’t so used to strange sights in the night, Baekhyun might’ve gotten scared at the sourceless glow.

Instead, he grumbled, unaffected. “Turn off the damn light Chanyeol, can’t you see I’m sleeping?”

The witch internally sighed in relief, surprised at how happy his heart was at the sight of the human tucked away and safe. He buried his hand in the brunette strands without thinking, carding through the healthy hair and pulling a contended hum from the human. “Do you know where you are Baekhyun?”

The aforementioned buried his face into the covers, voice muffled when he sleepily spoke. “In bed.”

Chanyeol snorted. Even when half-asleep the human was a handful. He retracted his hand and settled next to Baekhyun at the foot of his bed, the latter slipping back towards him as the mattress dipped. Baekhyun quickly readjusted as he scooted back, flopping his head into the witch’s thigh as a pillow. The coven leader let him do as he wished, Baekhyun wiggling around until he was comfortable again.

Chanyeol put his hand back into his hair, fatigue heavy in his bones and sleep pressing into his shoulders as if it wanted him to lay down. But he was stubborn, blinking away the ache in his eyes to look down at the male falling asleep with the side of his face pressed into his leg. Arms pressed to his own chest as he began to curl again, finding comfort in becoming as small as possible.

“You’re in my room.” Chanyeol whispered, carding slow drags across his scalp. Baekhyun was barely paying any attention, but that wasn’t unusual. He was like a horse with blinders on, focused purely on the task at hand and it was nearly impossible to tear his attention away. Right now, his task was sleep.

Baekhyun hummed, eyes too heavy to open. If he stayed awake any longer his thoughts would come back to plague his mind, and the human already had trouble sleeping. He just wanted one restful night, just to catch up on what he’s lost. Vaguely, he registered rough fingers tracing his cheekbone. They were warm against his skin and drew him deeper under, featherlight touches traveling down to his jaw and up to his brow.

Baekhyun hadn’t slept that well in far too long.

————————————

Chanyeol hadn’t come back in two days, and Baekhyun was starting to get worried.

The only person he was able to talk to was Sicheng, Yuta having been gone just as long along with the rest of the high ranking witches. But the gorgon gave him the same short response every time he came down to ask.

“Business. Be back soon.”

Even Baekhyun knew that he was pestering the poor occult, but it was hard not to worry when he hadn’t gotten a single explanation from Chanyeol beforehand. He was just  _ gone _ .

Johnny, Sehun, Jongin,  _ everybody. Gone _ .

_ Was this the preparation Chanyeol was talking about? Was this the big event? _

It didn’t sit right with Baekhyun, all the early mornings and late nights. Everything was building towards some big event that he didn’t know and all he got was an empty penthouse in lieu of answer? He thought the coven leader would’ve at least had given him the courtesy of telling Baekhyun he’d be gone, perhaps even how _ long  _ he’d be gone for.

Baekhyun didn’t sleep well if at  _ all _ . Instead, he stayed up on the couch, watching the elevator from different vantage points throughout the night. He would sit on the cold stairs with creeping dread dragging his heart down to his stomach, the pits of his soul stirring in unrest. Something wasn’t right.

On the third night, Baekhyun didn’t stay in the living room. The human wandered to the ritual room, staring at the bland and locked door as if it would hold some answers. His head thumped with lack of sleep, eyes straining to stay awake but unable to sleep anyways. He drew his blanket closer, the penthouse growing colder as winter was brought upon the city. He was reminded of one winter with Minseok, when the first snow had fallen and how he and Jongdae couldn’t stop him from leaping out of the door and spending the entire night on the sidewalk outside.

It brought a warm smile to his lips, he missed hanging out with his old friends.

Baekhyun reached out towards the door handle, bracing himself to jiggle the unmoving metal. But when his hand got near enough to the handle, a loud click sounded. The human leapt so far back that he ended up smashing into a small side table, sending the flowers and consequently their vase crashing to the floor. Shattered pottery littered the floor, skidding as far as the curtained window at the dead-end of the hallway. His heart was picking up its pumps like a hastened drum, exponentially growing until he could hear nothing else but it’s beat.

Baekhyun tiptoed his way around the shattered ceramic, careful to avoid crushing the flowers and injuring his bare feet. When he made his way back in front of the ritual room, he twisted the handle and felt faint when the door gave way.

The door creaked as it moved, swinging wide to reveal festering shadows and the lone supplies on the shelves. Baekhyun kept the door open, unease fluttering in his chest like trapped moths throwing themselves at light. The concrete was even colder than the floorboards outside, more jarring the biting frigidity of the polished stone stairs. As Baekhyun walked further in, the more he began to feel watched.

Baekhyun didn’t know why he was drawn to this room of all places, where the shadows moved and no windows could let in outside light. It was easily the darkest room, and it reminded Baekhyun far too much of the apartment he left behind. It contained the same sense of trepidation, the triggering feeling of eyes watching him from every corner of the cold room, and the same whispers that had played tricks on his sleep deprived mind. Baekhyun wasn’t as safe here as he was when he was with Chanyeol, he felt so vulnerable and  _ alone _ . Even with all the eyes.

Yet, Baekhyun didn’t leave. He had this sick sense of needing to stay a bit longer, needing to endure the pain a bit more before he could leave satisfied. The human was lost and being in the room brought forth an overwhelming sensation of familiarity, like he  _ needed _ to do something. His hands loosened their hold on his blanket and let it fall to the desolate floor, Baekhyun blindly reaching towards the alcove in the wall.

Held in his hand was a small bowl of paste, the same mixture used to write serious turns. Baekhyun tore off the cling wrap and bundled it up in his fist, letting it fall to the floor gracelessly. He then walked to the wall nearest to the opened door, and slowly dropped to his knees. Shoving both hands into the paste, he began to messily smear his white hands onto the wall.

The whispers grew, in such a low cadence that it sprung tears to the humans eyes. His heart palpitated funnily, irregularly beating. His breath was haggard like hot coals had been dropped into his lungs, and he began to sniffle. All the memories of silently suffering in his own home came back full force, drowning him where he sat on his haunches. The invasive memories brought a whole new tear to his eyes, crying until he couldn’t see what he was doing.

Yet Baekhyun still wrote.

There was a warm hand on his shoulder, a radiating presence crouching behind him.

“Baekhyun.” The familiar voice spoke. “Baekhyun, get away from the wall. Everything’s going to be alright.”

The human’s cries worsened to sob, red hot pain stabbing through his chest with each inhale. His heart ached with loneliness and fear, vulnerable without the witch to protect him with his embrace. His whole body shook with the tremors of his cries, tears streaking down his face with no one to wipe them away.

“Baekhyun...I’m right here, there’s no need to cry anymore.”

Baekhyun shook his head, drawing back a white hand to wipe away the tickle of his tears with the back of his wrist. A streak of paste stuck to the moist skin of his cheek, smearing as Baekhyun stubbornly swiped at his face. Chanyeol’s voice attempted to soothe his frayed nerves, calm his hysterical crying and the wildfires in his chest. But Baekhyun couldn’t handle the heartbreaking sound, wanting to push away the warmth ebbing at his back.

“You’re not Chanyeol.” He hiccuped between sobs, wiping his face furiously with his forearms. There was a hand at his shoulder, another attempting to worm its way around his waist. But Baekhyun wasn’t having it, shoving at the invasive touch with his sticky hands. “I know you aren’t Chanyeol.”

“Baekhyun-“ The human wouldn’t listen, shaking his head as he pushed the hands away more vehemently. He more desperately began to write on the wall, hands shaking until he pressed them hard against the concrete walls.

“Go away Eunjae.” He hiccuped, aggressively pushing his already raw hands on the downstroke. “I know it’s you.”

The hands suddenly turned cold, rough fingers lengthening to thin and knobby spindles. The presence solidified against his back, lithe arm aggressively trapping Baekhyun around his abdomen with a sharp chin digging into his shoulder. A green glow tainted the pearly white of the paste on the wall, the revolting sensation of a wicked grin pressing into the flesh of his neck. Baekhyun could barely move, but he’d already gotten the top parts of the rune done. He sloppily gathered more dripping paste into his hands, sniffing pitifully as he smeared more on the wall.

“I know you don’t like being alone.” The witches cool voice purred, silky words stiflingly hot against the sensitive skin of his neck. “Not truly anyway. I just thought I’d keep you company.”

Baekhyun felt dirty at every place the coven leader’s body met his own, disgusted where his bony body curved to match the humans own. “I don’t need your company, leave me alone.”

The witch laughed lowly, squeezing the human impossibly closer to him. Wet lips pressing against the shell of his ear as Baekhyun worked as unfazed as possible.

“How feisty.” He hissed, more snakelike than Sicheng ever was. Drawing out his words as he pressed his head closer, dragging sickening chills down Baekhyun’s spine. This was what humans thought all witches were, what reminded Baekhyun of the creature he truly feared but refused to show.

The human tried to look unaffected, continuing his fluid yet messy lines in distraction to the lips ghosting over his skin. Eunjae was like a disease, and Baekhyun already felt so sick in his presence. But the witch only hummed, eyes boring into what Baekhyun was drawing on the wall. He seemed amused, maybe even a little impressed by the complex curves and strokes that fractured across the concrete.

The witch dragged a dull fingernail down the concave of his throat, cutting close to the human adam’s apple. Then he slashed up, leaving behind what he had the audacity to call a  _ pretty red streak _ . Baekhyun almost flinched at the pain, but kept the wince internal as the witch continued to feel his neck with his cold hands.

“Kyowon was right for once, the old loaf.” Eunjae chuckled slowly to himself, still too close. “You are  _ very _ pretty.”

“Was I not with a Traeger sucking off my body’s life force?” Baekhyun snapped, grabbing the arm around his waist in a warning grip. Eunjae shifted, hand like a crack of a whip as it moved in the blink of an eye. It clutched Baekhyun’s jaw in a nearly brushing hold, maneuvering the human’s head to face his own.

His hair had grown out from its crisp crop, inky strands slithering over his glowing sigil like thin worms. His swamp green eyes were nearly black with decay, the magic inside him tainted with dark energy. He was poisoned with black magic, his breath rancid like death as his smile grew wider than should be physically possible. “Did Chanyeol tell you all about your little pet?  _ Hm? _ Did he tell you what our little demon does?”

Baekhyun scrunched his nose in distaste, as if someone had shoved rotten cheese and a moldy lemon into his mouth. Their noses were touching but even from this angle, the brunette could tell the man had clearly changed since the last time they’d met. His nose and eyes were sharper, his cheekbones more severe with a jaw that pulled the skin tight over the bone. He was a sharp skeleton with sickly skin, black permanently discoloring the skin around his lips and eyes.

“Chanyeol likes his secrets.” Eunjae drawled, pressing his forehead to Baekhyun’s and all but snuffing out the green light. All that was illuminated was the coven leader's glowing eyes, a pupil so small it was nearly lost to the specks of black that spotted his iris. His sigil felt so sticky, like it was oozing. “I bet you he didn’t even tell you it’s name, you found that all by yourself.”

Baekhyun curled his pasty hand into a fist, the other still holding the ghastly arm around his waist. “Get to the point Eunjae, I don’t like mind games.”

“But you’re such a good  _ player _ .” He cooed, revealing more sharp teeth when he smiled. “No one ever survived this long.”

His heart swooped dangerously, pounding against his ribs as if it wanted to jump out and run as far away from the situation as possible. Baekhyun wished the same too, but there was no one to save him up in the lonely penthouse. He ached for Chanyeol and his blue glow, missing the iridescent shine of his smooth sigil.

“ _ Get to the point _ .” Baekhyun hissed lowly, enunciating every word that passed his dry lips. He stared the madman straight in the eyes, a deep rooted fear whimpering at the carnal and insatiable hunger that sucked on the black magic like an addict.

Eunjae pressed close enough that his lips ghost Baekhyun’s own, nose bumping beside the humans. Streaks of green split through their touching skin, illuminating his bilious mien and the barely contained craze in his eyes. The hand holding his head in place grew harsher, scorching words pressed into Baekhyun’s tingling skin. “The truth is...that Traeger kills its friends quickly...the truth is...you should’ve been dead in a matter of  _ hours _ .”

Baekhyun’s jaw ached under the witch’s angry grip, his words growing venomous as he continued. “So you tell me...how are you still  _ living _ .”

The human finally let out a whimper at the pain, pressing his free hand into the man's jutted sternum. Surprisingly, Eunjae let go. The coven leader allowed Baekhyun to move out of his space and let light flood back into the shadowy room.

The human rubbed at his jaw with his forearm, turning away from the witch to dip his shaking hands back into the nearly empty bowl of paste. He was almost done.

“I bet you didn’t know Traeger sucked souls either, and that even if one was able to rip the demon from your body...most don’t  _ survive _ from their damaged souls. Witches may...but  _ never _ a human.”

“What are you trying to say.” Baekhyun hissed, focused on the task at hand as the coven leader continued to ramble on with his purred words and drawlings. “Just spit it out.”

Eunjae relaxed against his shoulder, going back to his original position as he drew lazy circles into the humans neck. “I’m  _ saying _ ...there’s no explanation magical or logical as to why you’re still  _ breathing _ .”

Baekhyun shrugged, struggling with the weight on his right shoulder. “I don’t know what to tell you.”

The witch reached up and wiped some of the dried tears tracks marring the humans soft cheeks, Baekhyun shuddering at the action and swiping at the hand in disgust. Eunjae was unbothered though, smiling that fleshy Cheshire grin of his.

“Don’t cry too much while I’m gone. You’re far too pretty to cry alone.”

Baekhyun scoffed, disturbed at the sudden declaration. But when he turned to give the witch a piece of his mind, the coven leader had already disappeared. The area where his arm had pressed into Baekhyun still felt pressured, as if he were still there...holding onto the human.

Baekhyun shook out his arms and swiped at the air, rubbing his white hands all over his abdomen to dispel the presence lingering onto him. He scratched at his neck and smeared his body with the drying paste, feeling  _ dirty _ as fresh tears sprung to his eyes. The feelings of eyes subsided, the whispers fading. But Baekhyun  _ still _ felt the residual sensation of a body on his, beginning to cry again at the invasion.

He sat crying in front of his now finished drawing, a complex summoning rune that spanned a good portion of the wall. Some lines were thicker and wonkier than others, while some blending into others where Baekhyun hadn’t been able to see the wall through his kaleidoscope of tears. The center of it all sat at the root of his summoning, the object of his desire.

In the middle was a thick circle of white, an almost perfect crescent balancing on top of its smooth pedestal.

Baekhyun just wanted Chanyeol back.

————————————

When Chanyeol finally returned to the penthouse, it wasn’t the welcome he’d been expecting.

The entire penthouse was eerily silent, but he had checked with the gorgon downstairs and Baekhyun hadn’t been back down there in a couple of days. If anything, he’d be up in the greenhouse. Although...the witch somehow doubted that. The human  _ had _ to be here, hidden somewhere amidst the pristine walls.

With the new trial date looming in less than a week, Chanyeol was busy trying to get ahead of his covens business before being swept away for another round of legality. He would have to leave soon as well, finish up what he had started several days ago and then get Baekhyun in line. He needed to bring the human to some sort of shopping center to get more suits, per Junmyeon’s orders. The fey has been insistent of it, almost  _ obsessive _ over the phone.

Sicheng told Chanyeol he didn’t like the man, but it was pretty common for people not to like fey. Perhaps it was because of the whole getting cursed at birth to live a shortened life thing, or their habits of just living life hard and fast that rubbed people the wrong way. Many were scared to befriend such creatures, they were overprotective and most died before the age of twenty five or thirty. It was a shock that Junmyeon has lasted so long, but some fey were just lucky.

To Chanyeol, his theory was that his devout kinship to Baekhyun was keeping him going. Although it was rumored that fey live longer if they have more bonded kin, Junmyeon only had one and he was the oldest one Chanyeol has ever met. It made the witch wonder...perhaps he could invite the man over and try to dissect the mysterious creature...

Chanyeol was getting distracted, he was supposed to be finding Baekhyun. But to be fair, the man wasn’t in any of his usual places. The witch felt bad for leaving so urgently and without so much as a note, but Sehun had ushered him out very early in the morning. His business was urgent, and it didn’t let up for  _ days _ . Chanyeol was barely able to sleep more than an hour before he was off again, and it hurt him to think that Baekhyun couldn’t know what it was he was doing,

The downstairs hallway was clear and so was the upstairs, Chanyeol growing a tad bit worried as to where the human could be. But as he descended the stairs, he noticed that his study door was wide open. Creeping closer, he saw a pair of socked feet propped up on his mahogany desk. Baekhyun had a book opened on his lap, page opened to showcase none other than the shadowy Traeger, it’s empty eye sockets staring to somewhere off the page.

“What are you doing with that?” Chanyeol asked, a bit strained as Baekhyun didn’t acknowledge his presence. Rather, the human continued biting the end of a pencil and tapping his dainty finger against the sketch of the Traeger.

“Did you know that Traegers kill their host in a matter of hours?” Baekhyun’s voice was even, a sharp smile splitting across his usually gentle face like a curved knife. His voice showcased faux interest, as if this was the first time he’d ever heard such a fact. “But you want to know something even  _ crazier _ ?”

“Baekhyun.” Chanyeol tried, voice tight with emotion. He felt apprehensive of this Baekhyun. The witch had left for several days but he hadn’t expected to come back to  _ this _ . The human flicked his eyes up to his, glimmering with a secret Chanyeol didn’t know. He looked so innocently dangerous, sitting nonchalantly with a book in his lap that he shouldn’t be able to  _ read _ . It was all written in ancient tongues, mostly that of the language used in old Wiccan. The same language used to summon and exploit black magic.

“Did you  _ know _ -“ Baekhyun drawled, lazily dragging his finger over the page as he maintained intense eye contact with Chanyeol. “That Traegers feed on _ souls _ ? That’s what makes them so powerful, it’s even ranked a nice little eleven.”

“Baekhyun listen-“

“No  _ you _ listen.” Baekhyun suddenly kicked his legs off of the desk, slamming the book down and standing with purpose. He pointed down at the creature with its hanging mandible and stubbed arm. “I should be  _ dead _ right now. I should have no soul in my body, it’s a wonder I’m not even half  _ crazy _ right now or just some husk of a human body!”

“You have no idea what you’re talking about-“

“Oh,  _ really? _ “ Baekhyun drawled, lengthening out the last word and smiling spitefully. He narrowed his eyes as he nodded his head, poison dripping from every word and even his pauses for silence. He looked pissed, as if he were a mother whose son had just called him a liar. “Okay then. Tell me I’m wrong. Go ahead.”

Baekhyun sat back in the chair and slung one leg over the other, crossing his arms with a bitterly composed face. “If I’m so  _ wrong _ , then tell me what’s right Chanyeol.  _ Tell me the truth _ .”

Chanyeol was beginning to have flashbacks to their first fight, when both of them had pushed the other to their breaking point. Baekhyun had been quick to match Chanyeol’s ignited irritation, but the former had evidently been marinating in his own anger for quite some time. Now though, the witch didn’t have a valid reason to be upset. He had nothing to match Baekhyun with because what the human was getting at was true. Somehow, he found out about the Traeger and now he was holding it against Chanyeol, the latter not having bothered telling him about the creature.

Baekhyun waited for an answer, he’d been waiting  _ days _ and he could certainly wait a few more minutes to let the witch squirm. But Chanyeol had no answer to it, only one question. But he had the sense to know he wasn’t the one in position to be asking questions.

“I’m right aren’t I?” Baekhyun oddly didn’t look pleased, as if expecting Chanyeol to set the record straight and tell him he’s wrong. He was right. The human was disappointed, smug but in the worst way possible. The way that made him feel shitty, because he didn’t  _ want _ to be right.

“The Traeger...” Chanyeol started off, uncomfortably shifting his weight from foot to foot. He didn’t like not being the person in the wingback. “It’s a complicated creature.”

“Then explain.” Baekhyun stated simply, leaning back as he motioned his hands around him. “I have the time.”

_ But I don’t _ . Chanyeol had to leave soon to go back to his grueling work, the kind he couldn’t reveal to Baekhyun. He had come here to see Baekhyun and assure him he was alright, he hadn’t been expecting a  _ confrontation _ . “I’m sorry, but I have to leave soon.”

That was a wrong move if he’d ever seen one. The fire inside the human was blown back to life, Baekhyun gritting his teeth as he stood back up. “You’re  _ what _ ?”

Chanyeol straightened up as well, matching the energy spiraling in the room as best as he could. “I have work to do, I can’t stay long.”

Baekhyun had half the mind to throw something at Chanyeol, the man who had the  _ audacity _ to leave him for days on end with no word on how he was. Then  _ come swooping back _ only to leave a few minutes later. Baekhyun was being swept to the side again! It made the human shake with anger, tears of frustration threatening to spill over as he was flung back to square one with the dumbass of a coven leader.

“Fuck your fucking work!” Baekhyun yelled, grabbing the black book and chucking it at Chanyeol in frustration. The latter quickly deflected the flying book with a wave of a hand, eyes wide at the action. The book went crashing into some shelves, novelties and more books falling to the ground at the disturbance.

Baekhyun grabbed the next closet thing, an ornate pencil holder, and chucked that too. Chanyeol didn’t even have to raise his hand that time to redirect its course. Although, the next item (a paperweight) came closer than he liked. It became a game of Baekhyun throwing everything off the desk at the coven leader with tears in his eyes, abandoning all sense and letting his bottled emotions boil over. Chanyeol was even more disturbed at this Baekhyun, confused at why the human was crying and trying to harm him.

When the brunette ran out of ammunition, he turned to start grabbing books off the shelf. But Chanyeol was quick to throw up a blue field, the semi-transparent wall blocking Baekhyun from taking anything else off the shelves. Realizing what happened, the latter began to bang his fists against the barrier, kicking it out of exasperation. Chanyeol quickly rounded the desk, wrapping his arms around the screeching human to prevent him from hurting himself.

Baekhyun thrashed and kicked furiously, angry tears streaming down his face as the witch effortlessly picked him up and removed him from the office. “Put me down asshole!”

Chanyeol ignored the curses and slurs being thrown at him in favor of just holding the human closer. He felt shitty for not knowing immediately what had made the human so upset, racking his mind for what he could’ve done to set him off so quickly. But he had nothing, confused and a little frightened as he waited for Baekhyun to stop kicking the air and go lax in his hold.

It was scary how fast Baekhyun went from screaming to simply caving in, sniffling pitifully with his feet hanging off the ground limply. The coven leader loosened his hold, allowing his feet to touch down but not letting go. There was a small sigh, then the human's body collapsed against his, sending them both stumbling back a few steps.

“Baekhyun...?” There was no response, the aforementioned having his head facing away from Chanyeol. “Are you okay?”

Baekhyun suddenly reached up and removed the arms from around him, stepping out of the witch’s hold. Chanyeol felt uncomfortably cold.

“No, I’m clearly not okay.”

Chanyeol stood staring at the human hoodie clad back, he hardly wore anything else. He had once mentioned he had fashionable clothes at home, but didn’t want to bother himself with looking nice when all he did was go between two rooms all day. The witch wanted to smile at the memory, even if the passing conversation was insignificant to the human.

“Did...did something happen while I was gone?” That got him to turn around, untouched tear tracks drying on the human’s mottled face. He looked so hurt and defeated, and Chanyeol felt so much worse for not knowing what he was upset over.

“No! I’m pissed because you left without telling me where you were going, when you’d be back, or what you were doing! I was fucking worried about you!” Baekhyun wanted to pull his hair out at the lost and perturbed expression the coven leader wore, as if the former had grown an extra head and began to spew nonsense in Latin. “You could’ve fucking  _ died _ and I wouldn’t have known!”

“That’s a bit dramatic-“

“ _ Don’t call me dramatic! _ “ Baekhyun screamed, anger returning in a more subdued manner.

“Is it so  _ wrong _ that I was  _ concerned _ ? You left me without so much as a goodbye, left me all alone with no promise of a return...I was  _ scared _ -“ His voice broke, tears replacing the dying flame of his vexation. He began to sniffle again, looking defeated and broken as he tried to suppress his sobs.

Chanyeol hadn’t realized this was all about Baekhyun being  _ worried _ , much less over  _ him _ . He knew he should’ve given Sicheng a message to relay back to the human, but he’d just been so consumed in work that he assumed Baekhyun would be okay with a few extra days of solitude. If the witch knew it’d lead to such distraught emotions within the human, he never would have left without telling Baekhyun.

“But Baekhyun...” Chanyeol paced slowly over to the silently crying human, heart breaking with every little noise that left the distressed male. “I’m a  _ witch _ , a powerful one at that. I can take care of myself.”

Baekhyun suddenly punched him, a stinging pain blossoming over his arm that’d been hit. “Are you fucking  _ stupid _ ?“

Chanyeol was confused, why was Baekhyun mad again? The human grabbed his collar and tugged him down lower, using his other hand to slap the top of his blue head.

“Shit happens! You aren’t  _ invincible _ .” Chanyeol thought he was pretty damn close to it, but judging by the human's red and swollen face, he thought better of voicing that opinion.

“But the probability of something happening to me while I’m out with my coven-“

“There’s still a chance!” Baekhyun argued vehemently, so clearly  _ frustrated _ at Chanyeol’s lack of understanding.  _ God _ , he was beginning to hate witches on a  _ whole new level _ .

“Fucking hell Chanyeol.” Baekhyun clapped his hands on either side of the witch’s squishy face and brought it closer to him, making sure he was looking Chanyeol right in the eyes as he enunciated every word that left his mouth.

“ _ I care about you Chanyeol _ , what fucking part of that do you not understand!”

Chanyeol felt realization dawn on him, feeling stupid and embarrassed all at the same time. His face colored to the shade of beets, all the cogs turning. Baekhyun sighed, letting go of his face so he wouldn’t be so bent over.  _ Fucking dense _ , was all he could think. A handsome, talented,  _ idiot _ .

“Oh...” Chanyeol whispered, kind of just dumbly nodding his head along.

“You suck at this.” Baekhyun said, crossing his arms in disapproval. Chanyeol only pursed his lips, preventing any further embarrassing blunders. Didn’t stop his cheeks from being the brightest shade of red though. It was quite the contrast to all of the blue and black.

“Sorry...” The witch weakly offered, cringing at how feeble it sounded coming from him. But Baekhyun only smiled, looking quite sad with all the wetness on his cheeks. Chanyeol felt properly guilty, feeding his apology into his actions as he gently wiped away the tears on the humans' pretty face. Something flashed in his eyes, but it was gone before Chanyeol could quite catch it.

The witch wanted to apologize endlessly, attempting to string together at least a  _ single _ sentence to try and convey how shitty he felt. But time wasn’t on his side. Chanyeol really didn’t want to look like more of a dick then he already does, but his work was a bit time sensitive.

“You do know I have to go, right?” The coven leader asked, biting the bullet and watching the humans' expressions carefully.

“Then take me with you.” Baekhyun responded immediately, looking at Chanyeol like it was the most obvious answer to their predicament.

Immediately Chanyeol went to shoot it down, already hearing Sehun’s nagging voice at the back of his head hissing about how he couldn’t trust the human.  _ If you grow too close, then the prosecution will use Baekhyun as a weapon to take _ you  _ down _ . He hated to admit it, to even  _ think that _ Baekhyun would betray him in such a way, but Sehun was right. He wouldn’t risk himself or Baekhyun by letting him tag along. Plus, who knows what the latter would think of him after seeing Chanyeol’s most secretive work.

“I’m sorry, but there’s no  _ way _ in hell I’ll let you tag along. It’s too dangerous.”

Baekhyun guffawed, sensing the bullshit and seeing right through him as per usual. “You mean you don’t want to incriminate yourself? You think I’m going to go running off to the police to rat you out?”

After the conversation they’d just had, that was the  _ least _ of Chanyeol’s true worries. He wasn’t scared of Baekhyun selling him out, he was  _ scared _ of Baekhyun being put on the stand against him  _ unwillingly _ incriminating him. “That’s not it Baekhyun-“

“C’mon Chanyeol, I’ll ask the prosecution not to put me on the stand for you. It’s not that big of a deal, I’m friends with the lawyer.”

“It’s never that simple Baekhyun.” Chanyeol sighed, pinching the bridge of his nose. “I highly doubt your friend will turn a blind eye to the law simply because you  _ asked _ him to. All a lawyer cares about is  _ winning _ or taking down who they think is the bad guy, I fit in  _ both _ categories.”

He could tell Baekhyun wanted to object, but he stood his ground. Nothing would change his mind, and Baekhyun could see the resolve in his eye.

“I don’t see what you could be doing that’s so bad that you’d be this scared to show me.” Baekhyun mumbled, turning his body away from the witch.

“That’s not fair.” Chanyeol sighed again, wishing more than anything to get rid of the secrets that strained their relationship as they did. But that’s exactly what it was, a  _ wish _ . He was doing what was best for them both, even if it hurt him more than he liked. Chanyeol slipped his arms over Baekhyun’s shoulders, hugging him from behind and burying his nose into his hair.

Baekhyun hooked his hands over the witch’s arms, allowing himself to relax and sway in time with the coven leader. Now it was the human’s turn to feel bad, appreciating Chanyeol’s version of a loving apology but knowing he himself wasn’t going to give up so easily. He needed to know where Chanyeol had been for days on end, and what he was doing that made him such a big target for the government.

Chanyeol didn’t strike him as someone like Eunjae, someone who abused the darkest forms of magic and manipulated the world around them to fit their desires. He was on a different playing field compared to the other two thirds of the Covens Three, he didn’t have the same crimes stacked against him. He was more so guilty by association, but he certainly had something he was hiding. It may not be human magix, the act of hooking humans on tainted magic in a form of drugs, or other capital crimes like black magic and mass murder. But it was  _ something _ he feared anybody knowing, even those outside his small inner circle.

“I didn’t want to do this...” Baekhyun mumbled, heart heavy but eyes determined where they stared down at their mingled feet. He could feel Chanyeol shift to look toward him, but Baekhyun didn’t meet his eyes.

“If you don’t take me along, I won’t tell you what happened to Taewoong.”

The silence was deafening, the witch stopping their gentle sway. He had gone rigid against Baekhyun’s back, the latter squeezing his eyes shut as his heart beat hard enough to hurt. He hated every word that left his mouth, but didn’t take them back. The human couldn’t even if he wanted to.

Daggers stabbed his heart when Chanyeol’s arms fell away, throat twinging and eyes threatening to shed tears if Baekhyun dared to open them. It was so  _ fucking _ manipulative, and to Chanyeol it probably looked like Baekhyun had his own ulterior agenda. The latter didn’t know how the night was going to pan out, both of their biggest secrets to be revealed. He didn’t think he was ready.  _ Knew _ his heart wasn’t prepared to shatter into a million pieces if either of their secrets prove to be too much.

Baekhyun turned around to steal a glance at Chanyeol, the witch having been far too still and silent. Something broke inside when the human found nothing but an emotionless mask to which the coven leader adorned, his face even and eyes hardened to stones. He was unreadable, but Baekhyun didn’t need to read his expression to know he didn’t trust Baekhyun. Not by a long shot.

“Take it or leave it.” Baekhyun whispered, voice wavering as he spoke. He didn’t need to sound confident or apologetic, he just needed to get past the hard part.

The sting of betrayal was almost too much for Chanyeol to bear, barely holding himself together behind his wavering mask. Was what Baekhyun said true? Did he know what happened to his young apprentice? If so...just how  _ long _ had he known? The last question devastated the witch the most. The prospect of running all over the district in search of his missing apprentice, just to have the  _ one person _ he may care for most reveal that he  _ knew _ what happened and where he was...it just seemed too cruel to be true.

Now that information was being used against him, his sweet and beautiful Baekhyun was  _ blackmailing _ him. For what? To obtain the most  _ incriminating _ and  _ vulnerable _ information Chanyeol could offer? Sehun would be ripping through two of them apart if he knew. Chanyeol for being stupid enough to grow so close with the enemy, and Baekhyun for  _ being _ the enemy Sehun always thought he was.

“Why?” Chanyeol whispered, hoping he didn’t sound as broken as Baekhyun looked.

Baekhyun shook his head, pursing his lips as he shrugged in defeat. “I just have to know. I can’t continue on in the dark anymore.”

Chanyeol hated how complicated things have gotten. He was only supposed to keep the human safe, but then Baekhyun had to go off and be all curious and probe into every aspect of his life. The worst part was that Chanyeol had given in, he hadn’t realized it...but he’d slowly begun to fall. And fall he did. At some point he began to care about how Baekhyun felt, about whether or not he was upset with him or unhappy for some reason. Chanyeol  _ had _ gone soft, he was a damn  _ fool _ .

Every laugh, every smile, every  _ touch _ was another nail in his coffin. It had gotten so bad that he subconsciously sought out the human in his free time, searching for him when he got home. It didn’t matter whether he was asleep or not, because just seeing his beautiful face was enough for Chanyeol. It was like resetting some battery, and certain dry spells affected his mood greatly. The witch began looking forward to coming home, and if not for the extra work due to the upcoming trial, he’d be coming home  _ earlier _ . All this just because Baekhyun simply  _ existed _ .

The realization unexpectedly hurt, and the wound stung even more when he recognized that he’d fallen so far from greatness. There were stories as a child about witches who fell in love with humans, and the stories always ended in tragedy. Love between two witches brought forth power, but love between witch and human brought forth  _ weakness _ . Humans were too  _ vulnerable _ and shallow, they either die or betray their lovers in the end.

The saddest part was Chanyeol didn’t even  _ care _ . He didn’t care if Baekhyun stabbed him in the back or left him for dead, because he’d convince himself that the human did it for a  _ valid _ reason. Love was toxic like that, blinding Chanyeol to all rhyme and reason. Baekhyun could tell him the sky was purple and grey striped and he would  _ believe _ him. Even now, with his heart aching at the betrayal and his mind reeling with the sudden realization, he couldn’t find it in himself to be  _ mad _ .

Baekhyun had his reasons, and if he played along, the witch would know them soon enough.

“Go get your shoes, I won’t wait long.”

Baekhyun reeled at the acceptance, eyes widening like a deer caught in headlights. He was prepared for a fight, some form of an argument that tore at his heart bit by bit until he only had a pile of his shredded heart to show for it. But the witch merely stared blankly at him, turning around to go wait by the elevator.

Baekhyun quickly scrambled off to his room, half worried that Chanyeol was going to leave him and this was all an elaborate prank. But after shoving on an old pair of black Docs, as well as exchanging his pants and hoodie for black items as well, he grabbed the only padded jacket in his closet and all but sprinted out of his room. The cold had reached new lows that week, the type that carried with the wind and bit at any exposed skin you had like angry piranhas. The jacket clearly not his own as it swept halfway to his thigh, dwarfed his hands and left plenty of room around his torso.

He left it unzipped as he wandered back into the main area, spotting Chanyeol with that vibrant international Klein blue jacket of his. The one he’d seen him wear all those weeks back when the human had stormed out of the cafe. He handed the human a pair of gloves and a mask, tugging him into the elevator when the knell sounded its arrival. The gloves were far too big, but Chanyeol quickly drew a rune on them and they shrunk to fit perfectly to his thin hands.

Baekhyun stopped him before he could do the same to the jacket, slipping on his mask to hide his sprouting smile. “I like it as is.”

It was going to be evening soon, the sun already making its long awaited descent in the sky. It would only be an hour or two now, then Baekhyun would blend right into the scenery. Except his jacket, the padded coat was a subdued scarlet.

Baekhyun kept his head down as he exited the lobby, even though he knew Sicheng was well aware of who he was. As for passing patrons, they had no idea. Ironically enough, Baekhyun heard one of them whispering as he passed by.

_ “Did Taewoong come back?” _

The human tried not to shrink at that, trying his best to hurry through the lobby so they could get into the car faster. It was strange to say the least, clambering into a car with the coven leader. He’d always been accompanied by Sehun the few times he went out, Chanyeol always out and about doing  _ ‘witchy things’ _ . It was nice, not being suffocated by the silver witch’s bitter attitude and clear hatred towards him. The moment Baekhyun had gotten his memories back and realized he had indeed  _ not _ done something to Sehun while he was dying, the attitude just seemed so much  _ bitchier _ to the human. Less tolerable.

Unlike his reptilian counterpart in the lobby, Yuta immediately asked questions when he saw the scarlet shadow behind his leader. He let loose before Baekhyun could even buckle his seat belt, animatedly chatting his white little head off as he slammed on the accelerator. A slither of blue kept him in place before his face could go slamming into the back of the driver's seat, Chanyeol staring out the window when Baekhyun turned to give him a look.

“So...are we to continue our plans?” Yuta asked, clearly hesitant with the presence of the red and black bundle that sat behind him.

“Continue the schedule as planned.”

“What about Sehun?”

Chanyeol absently messed with the cuffs of his shirt, tugging at them beneath his Klein blue pea coat. Although he didn’t immediately answer, he already had an idea of how to deal with his hotheaded friend. Sehun wouldn’t like it when he eventually found out about all of this brouhaha, but that was a problem for future Chanyeol.

“I’ll deal with him.”

————————————

While the car drive to their destination was fairly quiet, Baekhyun didn’t mind it as much as when he was with other patrons in the car. It was a comfy silence, the kind that made the human easily forget he wasn’t alone but not particularly in a  _ bad _ way. Yuta was spewing out whatever crossed his mind as he drove against at least half a dozen traffic laws, Baekhyun occasionally piping up but overall just letting the driver vent.

When they reached their first destination, Yuta grew silent. He slowed and parked the car outside a meager looking townhouse, the lights inside exuding a warm glow that worked in contrast to the evenings setting sun. Chanyeol popped open the car door and Baekhyun went to do the same, exchanging glances with the reptile as that latter only offered a cryptic expression.

Baekhyun stepped out onto the vacant road, still not used to the desolate streets teeming with vegetation and wonky homes. It was like a river of asphalt, pathways of weeds and colorful flowers cutting across the light black. As the human rounded the back of the car, he found Chanyeol hanging up his phone. He had swirls of blue dancing up and down his arms, eyes a more inhuman shade of cobalt as they lit up like Christmas trees.

The beacons of light flickered over to him, temporarily blinding Baekhyun. He quickly grew used to it though, observing the ebbing pulses of the coven leaders' sigil as he ascended the townhouse’s steps. The sky was a bit  _ bluer _ than usual, the street falling a bit  _ quieter _ . Baekhyun skipped up the short stairs, coming to stand right next to Chanyeol as he knocked a pattern onto the chipping door.

He side-eyed Baekhyun, the human taking the hint and moving a customary step back. The door creaked open to show a small girl that couldn’t have been taller than Baekhyun’s waist, clutching a small teddy bear with buttons for eyes and a half-tied bow tie. Her eyes landed on Baekhyun first, eyes narrowed distrustfully at the hidden face and oversized jacket. Then Chanyeol leaned over and her attention shifted, her entire expression lighting up in recognition.

“Yeollie!” She slurred, smiling wide enough to reveal one of her two front teeth to be missing. “I missed you.”

Baekhyun observed the interaction behind his curtain of overgrown fringe, eyes peeking out between his hair and mask. He readjusted his double hoods as the child flung open the door and threw herself at the coven leader, aggressively hugging his knees with her nose scrunched in effort.

Chanyeol made a show of being hurt by her strength, commenting about how strong she’s grown since he last visited. The girl giggled, and Baekhyun wondered what kind of illegal business Chanyeol was so scared of showing him that involved such an overwhelming ball of energy. She clearly enjoyed the witch’s presence, and all the possibilities Baekhyun had thought of on his way here were promptly  _ thrown _ out the window.

“Can we come inside little Sunni?”

The child was buzzing with energy, nodding her head vigorously and preening when the coven leader ruffled her hair. Baekhyun subconsciously fixed his own.

The inside was just as unimpressive as the outside, but was overflowing with colorful crayon drawings that must’ve been procured by the child.  _ Sunni _ as Baekhyun recalled, perhaps a nickname? Arts and crafts littered the coffee table and small couch in the living room to his left, an unfinished puzzle left sprawled out on the floor near the box TV prompted up on a three legged table. Sunni excitedly pulled the comically large witch through the small living space, pointing at a drawing she had been making prior to their visit.

Baekhyun left the duo be, continuing down the hallway where stairs barely wide enough to fit himself were pushed against the right side wall. Small pictures were hung sporadically on the peeling wallpaper, pictures of Sunni and what looked to be her mother. There was also an older couple and a news clipping, oddly, of Chanyeol. It was announcing his new status as one of the Covens Three, bragging on and on about his various accomplishments at such a young age. Nowhere did it say anything about him being born with a sigil, but it did mention how it had  _ ‘never been seen before’ _ .

There was a sudden screech and Baekhyun jumped before realizing it was only a kettle. Looking further down the hallway, the corridor opened to the door to a small backyard, presumably a bathroom to the right, and the kitchen that also connected to the living room. Baekhyun peeped around the corner and crept towards the kitchen, seeing an abandoned pot nearly boiling over a steaming kettle.

Right as Baekhyun turned around, a short woman came bounding out of the bathroom. She was retying her apron with practiced ease, bandana tied around her head and making her look like a stereotypical housewife from the sixties. She quickly set to work turning the knobs on the stove top and moving pots and pans around on what little counter space she had. The woman was thin, maybe even a little  _ too _ thin.

She turned around and spotted Baekhyun watching her from the entrance of her kitchen, raising a brow at his presence.

“Are you trying to rob my house?” She asked with evident suspicion, leaning over slowly to grab at her knife block. Baekhyun’s eyes grew wide, raising his hands in the universal sign of surrender. The human didn’t like the look of that knife, kitchen knives weren’t supposed to be that sharp!

“No.” Chanyeol called from the living room, sitting criss cross on the ground as Sunni was scribbling something with a crayon nearby. She triumphantly held up the paper and shoved it in the witch’s face, chest puffed out proudly. He was quick to give her the praise she sought, going back to the stubby coffee table to draw some more. “He’s with me.”

The lady startled, leaning over her bar top and squinting at the coven leader that sat amidst the ruckus of her living room. “Oh Chanyeol dear! I didn’t even notice you were here!”

“Don’t worry about it.” Chanyeol dismissed, repeating his cycle of praising Sunni when she got up to show him whatever she’d been scrawling. Sending her away to draw some more. “Sunni let me in.”

The woman, most definitely Sunni’s mother, gasped dramatically in horror. “Sunni! What have I told you about answering the door?!”

The child sighed, sassily putting a hand on her hip as she rolled her eyes at her mother. “He used the special knock!”

“You mean that silly pattern you forced that poor boy to learn?”

Chanyeol shrugged as the small child began to lean against his shoulder, stretching her back out and bowing her body in the telltale sign of child boredom. “It worked.”

The lady fussed, tsking her child as she went back to fretting about the crowded kitchen. Baekhyun watched the brief drama like a soap opera, bewildered at the strange dynamic. Was this Chanyeol’s secret? He had a second family or something? Baekhyun stared intensely at the small child now,  _ was that thing _ his?

“Make yourself at use and carry this for me will you?” Baekhyun turned to find the mother dumping empty bowls into his arms, barely catching the mismatched plastic before she was dumping cups and silverware into his arms as well. “Go to the table and set it for me, I’m assuming you know how to set it?”

The lady gave him no time to breath before plowing on, pushing back his hoods. “And none of this nonsense in my house! You look like a hoodlum!”

She then took off his mask and combed back his messy hair, roughly dragging her hands over his face in a way only mothers could. He scrunched his nose indignantly, the woman booping it and squeezing his cheek. “See! What a handsome face you have! And I couldn’t see it under all those layers.”

She returned back to the kitchen to finish up the food, calling over her shoulder as she worked. Baekhyun just tried his best to set the table and not hang himself over what the fuck was happening to him at that moment.

“Doesn’t he have such a handsome face Chanyeol! A true beauty he is!” Baekhyun would’ve hidden away in his hood if he wasn’t so scared of that lady coming back and messing with his hair again. But having his head so open left his exposed ears to visibly turn red, blush coloring the apples of his cheeks as the lady continued to spew out compliments like Yuta spewed out random noises he called words.

“The most beautiful man I’ve ever seen.” Chanyeol added, reveling in the absolute redness that has overtaken the humans face. He looked as if he would welcome death at any given time, pursing his lips and turning brighter at the witch’s words.

He finished setting the table and soon after the woman plopped down a pot full of dinner. She held out her oven mitt with a slightly wrinkled eye smile. “I’m Jisoo, but you can call me mom.”

Baekhyun stared at her mitt, Jisoo opening her eyes and releasing her error. She let out a loud laugh and removed the mitts, extending her hand back out towards Baekhyun. The latter shook her bony hands with great apprehension, the whole ordeal the very last thing he’d expected to be experiencing tonight.

“With all due respect, I’ll stick to Jisoo.”

Jisoo laughed heartily as she scooped up her daughter, wrangling the child into her seat and setting her off to eat. She patted the girl’s thick head of hair, tying the dark strands behind her head to prevent muck from dirtying them.

“So sorry we didn’t make more food, I forgot you’d be coming over.”

Chanyeol waved her off, insisting they were fine. “You’re already so hospitable, no need to worry about more mouths to feed.”

“Yeah.” Baekhyun added. “We’re big boys.”

Jisoo laughed as she ruffled the humans hair, smiling warmly as she began to pinch Baekhyun’s cheeks again. “Handsome  _ and _ funny, quite the catch you got there Chanyeol.”

Baekhyun whined as he tried to extract the woman’s fingers from his face, receiving a swift but soft smack to his head. He scooched closer to Chanyeol, he forgot how scary mothers were.

“He’s one of a kind.” Chanyeol commented, wrapping an arm around the humans shoulder to squeeze him close. Jisoo cooed, moving in to squeeze Baekhyun’s cheeks again, but the latter was prepared this time. His face already ached, and he used the reminder as a way to more hastily escape under Chanyeol’s arm.

Baekhyun ran away to the living room, flopping down on the couch as Chanyeol and Jisoo began to quietly talk as Sunni slurped her food with little grace. It was so strange to him, how when ‘illegal’ came to mind this wasn’t what it was supposed to be. Drugs, violence, blackmail-  _ that _ was illegal. But dinner with a single mom and her chaotic daughter? That wasn’t.

Baekhyun laid down with his Docs hanging off the end of the couch, arm tucked behind his head as an impromptu pillow. He was counting the cracks in the ceiling when the judgmental face of a small child invaded his vision, her eyes narrowed as she scrutinized his face. Baekhyun raised an eyebrow at Sunni, who still had broth smearing the skin around her lips.

“You’re not  _ that _ handsome.” She muttered, frowning the longer she stared at Baekhyun’s face.

“You’re not too great either.” He shot back. There was just  _ something _ about being earnestly insulted by a child that left a harsher sting than anyone would like to admit. Though, Sunni was unaffected. She looked seven, had the attitude of a teenager, and eyes of an eighty year old woman. It was a strange combination and Baekhyun didn’t like how long she was staring.

“You know what your mother and Chanyeol are doing?” Baekhyun half wanted to bait the kid into telling him because he was confused as to what he was doing there, but he also just wanted the kid to  _ stop staring at him _ .

Sunni shrugged, ahead of her years. “What they usually do.”

“And that is...?” But Sunni wasn’t buying it, content to scrutinize Baekhyun’s every move in utter silence.

So, Baekhyun turned away from the girl and her worn teddy bear to lean his chin onto his palm. Jisoo was sitting at the round kitchen table, the unstable wood much too small for more than her and her daughter. But alas, Chanyeol was sitting in the other seat as she was talking intently about something Baekhyun wasn’t paying enough attention to catch.

Chanyeol motioned a hand towards her pink bandana and Jisoo carefully untied it, peeling back the fabric to reveal her thinning hairline. Her whole scalp was patchy with thin hair, but Chanyeol seemed oddly pleased with the sight. “It’s growing back more and more with these past runes, I think we’re really making progress.”

“Three years in the making.” But Jisoo didn’t say it bitterly, picking fallen hairs out from her bandana as she offered a warm smile towards Chanyeol.

“He’s saving my mom.” Sunni whispered beside Baekhyun, somehow still standing in the same spot. He picked at a loose thread on her teddy, suddenly serious as she too watched the interaction going down in the kitchen.

“Saving her how?”

“Mommy didn’t tell me.” Sunni started out, drawing close to whisper in Baekhyun’s ear. “But I found out she had cancer, the doctors said it was terminal.”

That made Baekhyun’s heart ache, wondering if the small child knew what exactly those words meant in his world. But her old eyes seemed to answer his unsaid question, holding her bear close to her as she climbed up the couch to sit on the human’s lap. Baekhyun pulled out the tie her mother had used to hold her hair back during dinner, busying his hands with braiding the thick locks of hair.

“I’m sorry to hear that.”

Sunni shrugged, sitting too still for a restless child. “Mommy was really sick...but then Chanyeol came along and started to fix her up when the doctors couldn’t. He’s been keeping my mommy around, unlike my dad.”

Baekhyun knew he probably shouldn’t, but he asked anyway. “What happened to your father?”

“Mommy says he was a bad man.” The girl remarked, as if reading from a bedtime story rather than the tragic retelling of her life. “But she says he died a while ago.”

_ What a bleak story _ . Baekhyun tied off the small plait and smoothed down the flyaways, glancing down at the teddy bear and it’s stale black eyes. In the kitchen, Chanyeol was explaining the new designs of the runes and explaining the risks, as he usually did. Jisoo nodded along, absentmindedly twirling the pale fabric of her bandana around her hand. The witch and his sigil were still alight, hands gaining in temperature the longer he kept his magic running.

“Are you okay to move forward?”

Jisoo smiled, the knowing and sad smile of a mother. She reached out her frail hand, grip stronger than the previous visits as she grasped the coven leaders hand. She sent a longing look towards where her baby sat fiddling with her small teddy bear, tugging at his arms with a frown.

“You know I’m not doing this to be cured.” She whispered, tragedy lining the wrinkles around her eyes that drooped with bitter acceptance. “I just need to give my only daughter a  _ life _ . A proper one...you understand don’t you?”

Chanyeol‘s known the woman since even before Sunni was born, knew of what life Jisoo was running from and what she wished her daughter to have. Knew of her plans to get her daughter to swear off her powers and finally live the rest of her indeterminate life in peace. He didn’t agree with it, but it was never his decision. He supported Jisoo finally taking the helm in her life, and he wasn’t a parent so he couldn’t judge what he didn’t understand. All he knew was that Jisoo wanted what was best for Sunni, and Chanyeol was just trying to get her there.

“I understand.” Chanyeol returned her strong grip, smiling in a way he hoped didn’t show the bittersweet ache that stabbed his heart. “Shall we start then?”

Baekhyun picked up Sunni from where she was frowning on the floor, holding the mute child close as he swayed them in place. He watched from the middle of the darkened living room, the sun having nearly set. The cobalt wisps that danced around Chanyeol began stirring to life, colliding into each other to form bigger more vibrant streaks of light. The witch’s irises bled out, consuming his already glowing eyes in a bath of indigo.

Complex shapes began to take form, thickening streaks of color twirling around like a whirlpool of magic. A rune began to take shape, a dozen others swirling around the center rune to create one massive configuration. The lights began to flicker, a slight vibration sending itself through the floorboards. Jisoo had her eyes closed, peacefully accepting the magic tugging at her small frame.

Chanyeol looked a mix between absolutely powerful and absolutely  _ terrifying _ , ethereally drawing more magic from his hands to have sucked away into the growing storm of a rune. Pots and pans shuddered in the kitchen, plastic cups clattering to the ground in the growing cacophony. The blue rune was vibrating around the edges, growing bigger and bigger until it took up the entirety of the space between the two witches. Papers began to fly, light items being tugged into its growing vortex as it shook violently.

Sunni’s plait whipped around her head, waving wildly in the chaotic wind. She tucked her head into the junction between Baekhyun’s shoulder and neck, clutching at his flapping jacket as the magical field grew worse. The human’s feet slipped slowly as he felt the gravity of the whirlpool pulling him in, digging his heels into the ground as papers were snatched all around him. But Chanyeol didn’t stop, his monochromatic eyes glowing fiercer as more energy bled from his upward facing palms, feeding the mega rune.

Baekhyun was about to shout at him, his feet unhinging and causing him to stumble forward. He barely grasped at his surroundings before he could be sucked in, hugging Sunni closer as he held onto the living room archway in a death grip. But the coven leader was on a whole other level, ignorant to anything outside of his wispy and strung together magic.

Baekhyun tucked himself into the wall, praying for it all to be over when he began to feel the nausea settling in. He wouldn’t be able to stay in the presence of such potent magic for long, feeling rogue wisps caress his arms and face in sickening touches. The field around the rune was just a ball of energy, ebbing in sheer colors and shredding any objects that flung themselves at it. Baekhyun didn’t want to be shredded. 

Finally, the bridges between Chanyeol and the rune dissipated, the complex symbol spinning like a large globe. The witch then reached up and grasped the outer edges of the sphere, face scrunched in concentration as he began to compress the pure magic. Baekhyun had to look away when the colors melded and grew too bright, eardrums blowing as everything came to a head.

His hearing was all but gone, eyes squeezed shut as a surge of power pushed him against the wall. His head ached as it got slammed into the wall, his arms protecting Sunni from any injury. It took a few moments to gather his bearings, but then Baekhyun was opening his eyes. He blinked away the tears at his eyes, attempting to focus his doubled vision on the messy kitchen table that had a large scorch mark bursting from its center.

When the human called out to Chanyeol, he couldn’t hear himself speak. Jisoo had her head resting against the scorched table, hair splayed all over the place. Baekhyun wobbly walked forward, removing his arm holding Sunni in place to allow her to turn her head towards her mother. She said something, but Baekhyun could only see her mouth move.

She pointed downwards and Baekhyun let her leave his embrace, unable to get back up and settling onto the floorboards. Sunni tugged on her mother's hair, the latter waving her hand dismissively as she rested on the table. Baekhyun felt a whoosh of air leave his lungs in relief, leaning back on his palms and closing his eyes.

The human jumped when a hand tapped his shoulder, snapping open his eyes and looking up at Chanyeol’s concerned face. He stared blankly as his lips when they moved, too dazed to try and decipher what the coven leader was saying. Chanyeol shook him, lips moving some more. Baekhyun waved dismissively, closing his eyes and pointing at his ear.

A second later a horrendous  _ pop _ seized his head with accompanying pain. Baekhyun loudly cursed as he gripped his ears at the tear jerking pain, gritting his teeth at the sudden onslaught of white noise. The human had never cared less about the presence of a child, cussing like a pissed sailor as he kicked the crouching witch nearby. Chanyeol fell on his ass, an indignant noise leaving him as he groaned. “A thank you would’ve been nice.”

“Maybe I didn’t want to hear your whiny voice anymore dipshit.” Baekhyun hissed, rubbing his red ears and contradicting himself as he began to whine. “You should’ve warned me!”

“You had your eyes closed!”

“Then you should’ve opened them!”

Chanyeol scoffed. “This is the single dumbest argument I’ve ever been a part of.”

Baekhyun mocked his voice petulantly, pushing himself off the floor and shoving Chanyeol back down when he tried to do the same. The witch glared as he huffed, straightening his Klein pea coat and sweeping his hair back instead. Once Baekhyun was far enough away he swiftly got up, walking over to Jisoo to check on the exhausted mother.

“Do you want me to carry you to your room?” Jisoo lazily waved around her hand, muttering about how she was fine.

“I’ll get up in a few.” She slurred, Sunni plopping down on the ground next to her mother's chair and hugging her bear closer. “I’m fine, I know you have more things to attend to.”

“I can always-“

“Chanyeol.” She said sternly, lethargically pushing her hair back and heavily leaning her hung head on her palm. “Go. You have work.”

Baekhyun was  _ quite _ content with leaving, snatching his mask from the kitchen counter where it  _ surprisingly _ hadn’t been shredded. Drawing his hoods, Baekhyun began to walk to the front door. But Chanyeol was more hesitant, opening his mouth to protest when Sunni spoke up.

“If mommy said she’s fine, she’s fine.” The little girl glanced up with a blinding smile, as if she were looking at an angel. “I’ll take care of her.”

Baekhyun impatiently shifted by the door, wanting to leave as soon as possible so he could get a  _ damn explanation _ . Chanyeol noticed the urgency, but still took his time in getting reassurances from the small family. Only then did he walk away, disapproval evident at the way Baekhyun left so readily. By the time he stepped outside the human was already in the car.

“What the fuck was that?” Chanyeol sighed, the vibrancy around his body subduing as Yuta began to drive the car again. He looked more haggard than before, rubbing at his tired face and putting his leather gloves back on.

Baekhyun tried a different angle when he garnered no response. “I fail to see what was so illegal about all that.”

Chanyeol laughed, sort and cut. “You know nothing about occultist laws do you?”

Baekhyun couldn’t say he did, why bother learning about laws he could never break? He also didn’t know the true extent of the occultist side of the government, which was a government within the government. All the human knew stemmed from common sense and a moral compass, oh, and that murder was universally bad.

“You were saving Jisoo’s life from what Sunni told me...I don’t see how that’s bad.” Chanyeol laughed bitterly, the human unsettled by the sudden noise.

“You’re far too naive Baekhyun.” Chanyeol pressed into the fabric of his gloves, slowly fitting them against his hands. The human pursed his lips to keep his words from tumbling out, more than a little hurt. “Using my powers to heal people  _ is _ illegal.”

Now Baekhyun was just confused, fiddling with his seatbelt as the rest of the glow faded from the witch. “I...I don’t understand.”

Yuta made a sharp turn and Baekhyun found himself pushed against the window, pain shooting through his already throbbing head. Chanyeol merely shifted with the car, fluidly keeping his center of gravity poised. Being in the Phantom while the reptile drive was a damn death wish, more dangerous than any rollercoaster.

“Think of it like this.” Chanyeol smoothed down his jacket and re-tied the sash around his waist. “If someone thought you had the cure for any disease, and you were willing to give it away, how much do you think that person would pay for that cure?”

Baekhyun shrugged, tucking his feet beneath him as he couldn’t meet the coven leader's intense eyes. He felt like he was missing something. “I dunno, guess it would depend on how bad I needed that cure.”

Chanyeol suddenly snapped his fingers. “That’s just it. As a witch, if we were allowed to put money on our own god given powers, we’d be capitalizing on all  _ sorts _ of people.”

Baekhyun still didn’t quite understand. “So, you’re saying the government has put restrictions on your magic practices. What does that have to do with Jisoo?”

Chanyeol sighed, musing if this was how Baekhyun had felt earlier that night. Frustrated at a simple concept that the other couldn’t fully grasp, but the witch was a patient man. What he understood may not be easy for a human to, he was after all talking about occults here.

“I’ll give you some background. I’ve known Jisoo for years,  _ well _ before Sunni came along. She was a friend of my mother’s, and the wife of one of the most notorious coven leaders in history. The predecessor of dear Choi Eunjae.” Baekhyun perked up at the mention of the blackened witch. He hadn’t thought about a time before any of the Covens Three  _ weren’t _ , well, the Covens Three. In all honesty, it seemed strange to think there was someone before Eunjae and Kyowon.

“Just after Jisoo found out she was pregnant with Sunni, she conspired with another witch to kill her husband. She knew she couldn’t kill that monster of a man, somewhere deep down in that golden heart of hers that still loved him. But she also couldn’t raise her daughter in that kind of environment, and so she found someone who would lead the Morning Star Coven into a brighter future.”

“ _ Eunjae _ ?” The prospect was ridiculous at best, that man came out of the womb with darkness dripping from his lips. There was no way a man like Eunjae could fall so far from a grave that never existed.

Chanyeol snorted. “Of course not, she chose his  _ best friend _ . So, when the night came that she could no longer hide her pregnancy, she snuck the witch into her home to kill her husband. And he succeeded.”

“Then why isn’t he leading the Morning Star Coven now?” Baekhyun felt he knew the answer, but the conclusion he came to seemed so  _ soap opera _ .

“Eunjae killed him.” Chanyeol shrugged, leather glove stark against his pasty skin. “Didn’t even have the sunwheel for an  _ hour _ before the bastard took him out, and he did so slowly.”

Baekhyun imagined a younger, more handsome version of the coven leader without that sigil branded on his forehead. One who was close friends with a man Jisoo deemed good enough to lead the coven she was fleeing, one she believed would do good as she was gone.  _ Someone like Chanyeol. _

The human looked at the witch a bit differently then, recalling how Jisoo had acted more like a proud mother than a desperate, dying woman. She had a newspaper clipping of Chanyeol hung on her wall...was it because the witch was what she had always envisioned a true coven leader to be?

“No offense...but what does that have to do with all-“ Baekhyun motioned messily to the air in the car, hands falling limply back to his lap when he got no response. “ _ This _ .”

“My parents were aiding her in escape, set up that townhouse and gave her enough money to start over.” Baekhyun could sense the  _ but _ . “But...after having Sunni, she became unwell. At the same time my parents were trying to find me a reason to create a coven; attempting to find me a cause that would draw in witches, make money, but still not corrupt my soul like all the others.”

Baekhyun nodded, trapping his gloves hands between his thighs as the cold grew. The sun had finally set, the inky Phantom splitting through the freezing air like a black dagger. The human couldn’t even keep up with the blurred landscape that passed, going far too fast in the dark.

“She had a brain tumor, that much we knew.” Chanyeol sighed, living through the unhappy memories. “I was just out of my teenage years, and Sunni was but a baby. But the doctors couldn’t do anything without running the risk of killing her, all they could do was give her a date and tell her to live life to the fullest.”

“But...what about Sunni?” Baekhyun whispered, hugging himself closer to the corner to try and draw in warmth. “She was just a baby, she wouldn’t have any family.”

Chanyeol clenched his fists, dragging himself through the clearly difficult conversation. “Humans are doctors Baekhyun, it’s what they do best with their powerless vessels. All of them turned her away, especially those who knew she was a witch. They didn’t give a shit that she had a kid with no immediate family, they wouldn’t give her even the slightest chance. No hope.”

_ But _ , Baekhyun wanted to counter,  _ not all humans are that bad _ . He was a pretty stellar example of what humans could be, a little rough around the edges...but not in the worst shape. Chanyeol was also a great example of what witches could be, kind and thoughtful all without exploiting innocent people with their superior abilities.

“Anyways.” Chanyeol plowed on. “I realized the purpose for my coven through Jisoo, and it was just as illegal as Eunjae and Kyowon’s ungodly doings.”

Baekhyun patiently waited, turning his body to more appropriately face the coven leader who was looking at his hands. The same ones that had spilled magic like blood from his veins. “Capitalizing off of dying people by using my magic to  _ illegally _ give them more time on this earth.”

Baekhyun didn’t like the way the witch worded it, so bitterly and incriminating. “You mean you save people’s lives and get compensation to keep your coven afloat?”

Chanyeol snapped his head over to him to look at him strangely, as if he had just blurted the craziest bullshit. Baekhyun had never been looked at like he was crazy before, but he didn’t see what was so wrong with the situation. “There are worse things you could be doing Chanyeol. My god, I thought you were doing something illegal like- I don’t know- prostitution?”

The look still wasn’t wiped from the witch’s face, as if he had expected Baekhyun to look at him in disgust or throw stones at him. He most certainly hadn’t expected him to argue the morality or ethicality of his covens business.

“Prostitution?”

Baekhyun threw his hands up. “You gassed this shit up so much I thought it was something  _ bad _ ! Murder, drugs, human trafficking, torture, human magix-  _ that _ type of shit. I didn’t expect you to be all brooding and then have the audacity to tell me you save the  _ unsaveable _ for a living!”

Now it was Chanyeol’s turn to throw his hands up in the air. “I’m using my birthright as a means to make money! Thousands of people die a day, who am I to decide who gets to live and who gets to die!”

“I respect the hustle!” Baekhyun yelled back. “Not to mention you’re not simply choosing who gets to  _ live _ , you’re saving people who had no other chance otherwise! Sure, some people can’t be saved. I don’t expect you to allow population control to get out of hand, but you’re doing what most doctors  _ became _ doctors to do.”

“But I don’t just save good people!” Chanyeol insisted, confused as to why Baekhyun could so readily accept the illegal activity he chose to participate in. “I save rich people too, I keep old men in the government alive longer so they can give me more money! My entire empire is built on a form of necromancy! And that shit is one of the most  _ illegal _ forms of magic!”

“You know what.” Baekhyun crossed his arms, licking his chapped lips. “If I knew any better, I would say you’re trying to convince me you’re a bad person.”

Chanyeol hadn’t quite realized it now, but that was  _ exactly _ what he was doing. In the eyes of the law, his acts were punishable by  _ death _ . He was playing god and  _ profiting _ from it, exploiting dying occults so he could sustain an entire  _ empire _ . He was abusing what he gave to him at birth, and that was even frowned upon in witch culture. Though, many witches who find themselves in covens don’t often know what’s going on behind the scenes. Unless you were stupid enough to fall victim to the likes of Eunjae and Kyowon, or simply joined smaller covens who didn’t participate in  _ any _ illegal activity. But that didn’t give you much credit in the real world.

“Well...” Chanyeol started, slowly deflating in defeat. “Maybe I am.”

Baekhyun cackled at that, remembering bony fingers caressing his neck and dull nails drawing  _ pretty red lines _ into his skin. He smiled sharply, far too harsh for his soft face. “You aren’t a bad person.”

Compared to the dickheads Baekhyun met back in the human world, and quite literally any other coven besides the Morning Star Coven, Chanyeol was a damn saint and the bastard was too dense to see that. “If you’re a bad man...then I guess I’m worse for falling for you.”

The car fell into silence, Baekhyun sending his challenging gaze to the coven leader on the other side of the row of seats. His face was so carefully blank, but Baekhyun wasn’t scared. Instead, he smiled at the witch. Turning to face the window, he watched the shadows of wonky buildings fly by. His heart was every bit a traitor as he had felt in the evening, beating so erratically even as his smile turned sour.

Chanyeol didn’t speak for the rest of the night.

————————————

Baekhyun had the displeasure of meeting many sorry souls Chanyeol had to do business with, some more sleazy than others. One arrogant heir to his father's industry conglomerate came up to Baekhyun when Chanyeol disappeared off with his father. Breath smelling of expensive wine, with perfect teeth and an ugly smile. He was already touchy to begin with, but he seemed so used to getting his way that the bastard didn’t care that Baekhyun was clearly showing signs of disinterest.

“Name’s Haejin.” He slurred, arm coming to lay against the bar top where Baekhyun had his arm propped. It brought him closer than Baekhyun would’ve liked, the man no more than an inch taller than the human. “But if you want to call me by another name...I’m open to whatever.”

Baekhyun’s mask had been pulled down by the offending pixie, because of  _ course _ the asshole was a pixie, and the fabric was hooked uncomfortably under his chin. But the human only smirked seductively, batting his eyelashes as he leaned closer. “You don’t mean that do you?”

But the pixie did, Haejin running a clammy hand down the side of Baekhyun’s face, coming to rest loosely at the base of his throat. The human let out a shudder, but of course the male couldn’t tell it was out of disgust. It only made his greasy smile grow, lips so dangerously close to his own.

“I mean  _ every word I say _ , all just for you.”

Baekhyun bit his lip as he raised his hand to touch the one at his throat, coyly looking out from beneath his lashes. “I can call you  _ anything _ ?”

“Of course.” Haejin purred, leaning his body further into Baekhyun’s until every sweaty crevice was pressed to the humans' darkly clothed ones.

Baekhyun let out a breathy laugh, knocking his nose into Haejin’s in a playful manner. The latter growled, and the human wanted to gag when he pressed impossibly closer.

“Okay...” he whispered, the hand not holding onto the pixies slithering up his lackluster chest and around his neck. “ _ Asshole _ .”

Baekhyun drove his knee up, slamming it into a place where the sun didn’t shine and using the arm wrapped around his neck to slam him face into his shoulder. The pixie cried out in pain, curling in on himself as Baekhyun shoved him to the ground. He clutched his crotch and grabbed his nose as blood ran down the side of his face. “ _ Bitch _ !”

“Aw.” Baekhyun pouted, snatching the man's unfinished wine glass and crouching down to his coiled body. “You don’t mean that... _ do you _ .”

When Chanyeol walked out of the fathers study, his eyes immediately landed on the man sobbing on the ground. Baekhyun was the second thing he noticed, empty wine glass perched against his ruddy lips as he sat with one leg over the other. He swayed idly on his bar stool, impish eyes finding Chanyeol’s confused ones.

“We should get some of this wine.” He had commented, a dangerous glint to his pearly smile as he stood. “It’s  _ exquisite _ .”

The witch had quickly escorted them out before the father had gathered enough of his bearings to find his injured son on the floor.

Chanyeol didn’t ask, and Baekhyun didn’t tell.

By the time Chanyeol finished his last rounds of...were they patients? Whatever they were called, there was  _ definitely _ enough to sustain the Scraper and it took them over twenty-four hours to get through the last of them. Baekhyun shamelessly fell asleep more than a few times during their stops, and he couldn’t understand how the witch was able to operate so much magic on such little sleep in such a small-time frame. It was inhuman in every sense of the word, and also  _ unhealthy _ .

When the duo exited yet another dodgy warehouse, Baekhyun pondered how so many people had gotten their hands on Chanyeol. Or better yet, did they know how many others had their secret serum too? Did they think they were special in getting their hands on the coven leader, or did they not care enough to get quite so invested? Surely, they had to know that the witch’s splendid and opulent living couldn’t survive solely off of  _ them _ . But what place did a dying man have in questioning his medicine? Especially when so many of those men cared more for their extended lives than their own children.

“Hey Chanyeol?” The witch hummed, but he didn’t speak outside of what he had to. Probably a way of conserving energy and keeping his sanity. “What happens when those men live too long that it becomes suspicious? You can’t just cut them off, surely they would snitch on you. But if you didn’t do something about them, then the police would get to you.”

The witch scrunched his face, having mused that question in his head too many times to count. Over the years he had questioned the permanence of his living, whether or not he could simply murder the men when it did start to arouse suspicion. But he always just came to the conclusion that he would cross that bridge when he got there, but it never did sit well with him.

“I dunno.” He mumbled. “That’s a problem for the future me.”

“How about you just wipe their memory? Them and their family can live out the rest of their lives in ignorance and you’d be safe.”

Chanyeol popped open the car door, standing out of the way and motioning for Baekhyun to get in. The human climbed in and rubbed together his leathered hands as the sun began to set again. The witch slipped in soon after and Baekhyun hoped it’d all be over soon. The human knew nobody but himself was responsible for his predicament, but anything was better than being left in the dark all by yourself. He’d take running all throughout the city for days on end over sitting in his own uncertainty as he waited for Chanyeol to get home any day.

“Magic dealing with the mind is very tricky for any witch. A number of things can go wrong, and you could end up permanently damaging the person in the process of altering their mind. Driving them crazy or putting them in a comatose state.” Chanyeol shrugged. “And who knows how many other people they told about me as a way of insurance.”

It was unfair, Chanyeol was saving their lives! It was disheartening to see that the person who was abusing magic wasn’t the witch, but the people who didn’t have access to such power. They were hungry parasites who wanted immortality, but such a thing didn’t exist. Chanyeol couldn’t keep up the act forever, and Baekhyun worried what would be in store for the coven leader if he did manage to get through this whole trial ordeal.

So, Baekhyun stayed quiet as he mused possible solutions. They went through a few more people and finally, Chanyeol told Yuta to head back to the Scraper. Baekhyun wasn’t even the one who had to exhaust himself with magic or much less drive, but he nearly cried at the declaration. That was, until he realized that he had his end of the bargain to uphold. It made him suddenly ask if they had to go back so soon. Fortunately or unfortunately, Chanyeol took the question as a joke.

The human was nervously bouncing his foot, wondering what would become of them within the next few hours. Maybe Chanyeol forgot? He hadn’t mentioned Baekhyun’s blackmail since he allowed the human along, but he had always been a patient man. He had probably been counting down the minutes until he’d get his answers, and Baekhyun didn’t know how he was even supposed to go about telling him.

_ Yeah, uh, hey. You know that teenager you probably loved like a little brother? Oh, well, he’s dead. How do I know? Funny you ask, a strange nymph invaded my sleep and told me...and I also saw him getting murdered so there’s that. Was it painful? Oh~ I don’t know...he was screaming a lot. _

Baekhyun was so  _ fucked _ .

————————————

The human held all the cards, he knew  _ everything _ . Now, he had to show those cards and put himself out there. He was about to be as vulnerable as the nights following the Witchin Massacre, he would hold no secrets and be bare of any protection. Baekhyun alone could destroy everything, but it was all up to Chanyeol if he was going to let the human do such.

The knell sounded so much more haunting when the elevator doors opened, Chanyeol sliding the scissor gates with a slow drag of his hand. The sun had finished its descent in the sky, the lingering hues of bruised purple and midnight blue darkening to a deluded black. The stars were struggling to peak past all the lights that still brightened the sleepless city, but the moon merely exhibited its stolen sunlight as it shone in the sky unbothered. Baekhyun found himself standing before the wall of glass, holding his arms closer to himself as he gazed out the city escape.

There was nothing but foreboding tension and shadows, the dark permeating more thoroughly that fearful night. Baekhyun knew of only one thing, and that was he couldn’t look at Chanyeol when he told him. Even if the latter had an inkling of what happened to Taewoong, Baekhyun couldn’t bear to see the look on his face when the cruel reality set in.

He could feel the eyes on him, not like the ones who watched from within the walls. No, he had since grown used to the unsettling appreciation that gripped his bones when those eyes appeared. These eyes were different, they were so intense that it burned where they looked. They were pools of pure magic and they could see so much, they could look straight through him and into the pits of his soul. It was the strongest kind of magic without ever being magic, a strong feature that could direct attention like a laser beam.

Baekhyun closed his eyes and could envision the cobalt orbs now, the glow that pervaded the air around them like discolored fog. They were as ethereal as they were scary, so terribly inhuman that he couldn’t decide whether he liked it or not when they stared at him without any real reason. He just always felt like he did something wrong, that some kind of fuck up was the only reason someone could look at him in such an intense way.

The human cleared his throat, already choked up before he could even utter a word. His eyes burned, body vibrating with pent up energy. There was no more avoiding it, Chanyeol deserved to know.

“Taewoong...” There was nothing but silence that buzzed between them, Baekhyun staring off at a distant stare on the horizon. “He was there the night of the Witchin Massacre.”

Every word was growing more and more difficult to say, breaking the news like taking a hammer to someone’s heart. But Baekhyun felt like his heart had already been broken by the secrets, and he was beginning to suffer at the reluctance clogging his throat. “Him and his, I don’t know, lover I guess? The white haired kid...he was the one who saved me from the fight inside. He was spinning this tornado and dropped me from it, telling me to  _ go _ .”

The human then inappropriately laughed, but it was almost too strangled to be called a laugh. He could no longer see the stars sorting the sky, rolling his lips as the first tear slipped from his eye.

“When I got outside, I was trying to escape these figures who’d been in the back rooms. I had been hiding in some office...an office that had a plaque on its door of a circle with eight slices.” He paused, but Chanyeol didn’t say anything. “But when I finally found my way out of the magical hallway, the guys were in the back alleyway.”

More tears fell, Baekhyun reliving that horrendous night like an interactive nightmare. He tried to banish away the feelings of fear and terror, but his hands began to shake where they were tucked under his crossed arms. He hadn’t expected it to be so difficult, he hadn’t even gotten to the worst part yet.

“I couldn’t leave.” Baekhyun choked out, squeezing his eyes shut as he tried to keep his falling composure. More tears fell but he didn’t want to see him shaky his hands had become, so he let them fall freely. “They dragged out this kid, and he was so  _ young _ . He had bright neon hair and bruises from some sort of beating, completely knocked out.”

Baekhyun took in a shaky inhale, opening his tear shining eyes to try and find that star again. “I hadn’t seen a sigil, but I wasn’t looking. All I was thinking was that I-I needed to get out, I-I c-couldn’t stay. Then- then they started this horrible c-chanting and this warped black blade materialized, and- and they-“

Baekhyun coughed out a sob, pursing his lips together to trap it all in. His lips were white with the pressure, chest spasming as the scene played out behind his closed eyes. The screams still rang his ears, Taewoong’s blackened eyes widened with terror as the black magic was killing him in excruciatingly slow pain.

“I didn’t have confirmation-” Baekhyun struggled to rasp out, weights pressing against his chest. “That it was Taewoong until a-a nymph came to me in my sleep a while back. H-He showed me t-this vision from the day of the mistrial, of Eunjae and Kyowon arguing.”

Baekhyun pressed his flushed forehead to the cool glass, remembering the dropping temperatures in contrast to his burning guilt. “They admitted they’d killed your apprentice...and Kyowon was scared that if you- if you got your  _ hands on me _ , I’d tell you everything.”

Baekhyun nearly broke as he whispered. “But Eunjae assured him he had-had  _ measures in place _ ...to keep me  _ quiet _ .”

The feeling of his cold fingers pressing into his skin, the harsh drag of his nails, the weight and pressure of his bony arm trapping him in place. All of it was a manipulative power play, to remind Baekhyun how close he could get to him without anyone knowing. The human honestly didn’t know why Eunjae hadn’t killed him, but the lingering ache in his jaw served well enough as a reminder of his presence. He was a toy to him, like he was food that the coven leader was playing with. He was inside his head, always has been, and Baekhyun was sure he’d tear himself apart before he would be able to face the witch again.

He was being fucked with, and it hurt Baekhyun so much to know that when things had been going so well the fucker showed up to take advantage of his vulnerability. Chanyeol had left, but Baekhyun wasn’t without a coven leader.

“I’m so sorry.” He suddenly whispered, imagining young Taewoong dying in the arms of an insidious man when Baekhyun had run away like a coward. He might not have known who the boy was, but he should have done  _ something _ . God, Chanyeol must  _ hate _ him. The thought alone broke him, Eunjae caressing his face as if to remind him that when Chanyeol finally left for good, Baekhyun would be all  _ his _ .

Baekhyun began to sob against the window, a mantra of apologies spilling out from his lips. It was all his fault, everything was. All the drama from the trial, the trial in  _ general _ , all of it was because of him. If he had done  _ something _ that night, perhaps Taewoong would still be alive and making a difference. He’d be able to take down the evil thirds of the Covens Three, leaving Baekhyun to crawl back to his insignificant life. He was just some troublesome human who managed to make the biggest fuck up in history, the only one that escaped that night. The only one who shouldn’t have.

Now Chanyeol  _ hates _ him.

Baekhyun began to sink to the ground, body sliding down the glass separating him from a hundred story drop. His hands curled into his head painfully, as if to try and distract him from the gnawing guilt that consumed him. His scalp burned, his throat hurt from hyperventilating, and his self destruction began. Every sob was more heartbreaking than the last, shattering the atmosphere with its wet cadence.

Baekhyun hit the ground, emotions too strong that crying didn’t feel like enough. He wanted to cry harder, but was unable to dispel the overwhelming culpability. The human was absolutely hysterical, overridden by grief of a boy he never knew but could have saved. Every negative emotion from the past two months boiled over, a quick succession of dominoes that spelled his descent into darkness.

Then there was hands grabbing at his forearms, attempting to pry them away from his head. Baekhyun only sobbed in response, shaking his head vehemently. But the hands were insistent as they gently wove between Baekhyun’s own and separated them from his hair, smoothing the tousled strands with an electrifying touch. Calloused fingers warm and kind brushed against his face, wiping away his tears with extreme care. The touches were so featherlight, the human would’ve missed them had his body not been hyper aware of everything around him.

Chanyeol hushed him as he continued to shake with guilt and fear, each sob like a violent wrench to the heart. The witch had watched the human slowly unravel as he bravely revealed his trauma, close to tears when he heard the truth, but spilling them when the human broke like shattered pottery. He had his suspicions, and they hurt like hell to have confirmed. But sad as it was, Taewoong wasn’t what was on his mind. Right now, he was in the past, and Baekhyun was the present.

He gathered every piece of Baekhyun and pulled him into his arms, tucking his face away from the city escape and into his chest. The muffled cries filtering into vibrations that cut straight to his heart, quivering the organ with its sorrow.

“It’s not your fault.” He whispered into the top of the brunette’s head, running his hands over his back and through his hair in a comforting feedback cycle. He wanted to snuff out the misery within his little human, bring back those bright smiles and playful quips. He wanted the male who wished to summon a corgi, the one who cocooned himself in blankets to watch a movie with the witch. He wanted Baekhyun back.

“You couldn’t have done anything.” He reassured, the mysterious ache in his chest sharing space with Taewoong’s confirmed death. “You saved yourself, and I don’t blame you for that.”

Baekhyun shook his head, pressing his forehead into the witch’s chest. He thumped it weakly, more tears streaming down his moist cheeks. “H-He was m-more i-important than m-me.”

Chanyeol squeezed him tighter, a million objections coming to mind but only one coming out his mouth. “Don’t you  _ dare _ say that. Your life is worth so much more than you know.”

Baekhyun snickered wryly, sniffling as he bitterly spat out his words. “The only thing that gave me meaning was this damn trial.”

“That isn’t true.” Chanyeol pressed, anger seeping into his words as he tried to drill through the human’s thick layers of toxic guilt. “You mean so much to your friends. What about that fey? Do you think he could’ve lived as long as he has without you? And that couple I saw at the trial? Do you think they’d be happy if you were gone?”

Baekhyun let out more meek cries, shaking his head. “I’m nothing compared to Taewoong.”

“What about me?” Chanyeol snapped, conviction lacing his words as he brought back Baekhyun’s head to stare into his shining eyes with his cobalt ones. “You mean the world to me. Would you have wanted me to suffer by never knowing what it’s like to be in your presence?”

Baekhyun was still shaking, lips quivering, and mottled skin damp with tears. He shrunk more at the confession, his inner turmoil trembling with the onslaught of differing emotions. It wasn’t a fair declaration, tossing Baekhyun into the throes of a more powerful storm. “You can’t miss what you never knew.”

Chanyeol suddenly smiled, a sad upturn of his lips as he cradled the human’s head more intimately. He used his thumbs to rub salty tears into Baekhyun’s skin, staring at the latter with such ardent tenderness it hurt the human to look. The ache in his heart burst, warmth fulfilling the holes in his soul like cement. He began to tremble but it wasn’t from the residual terror of his nightmarish memories, but from the terrifyingly earnest gaze Chanyeol was giving him. As if he’d hung the stars in the sky and gave them to the witch, as if  _ he _ were the one who possessed magic.

“I wouldn’t change the past if I knew I’d never meet you.” Chanyeol whispered, nose so close to brushing the human’s. Baekhyun was breathless. “You’re the greatest gift from all this tragedy. I wouldn’t give you up for the world.”

“At some point.” Chanyeol admitted, deep voice resonating lowly between their shared space. “You became more than just some trial witness...and as scared as I am at the emotion you bring out in me, I don’t want to  _ ever _ let it go.”

Baekhyun began crying again, Chanyeol’s face dropping as he looked at his human in concern. “Did I say something wrong?”

Baekhyun laughed at the absurdity of the question, smiling minutely through his tears as the blue of the witch blurred together like a pallet of the deep oceans. “You’d be fucking stupid to think you said something wrong.”

Baekhyun wound his arms around the coven leader's neck with fresh tears soaking Chanyeol’s shoulder, pressing his smiling face into the fabric. He cried at the security of the embrace, the sincerity of his words, and the protection that seeped out of him like body heat. He simply let the witch’s words chase away the negativity that clung to his mind, vanishing away the loneliness in his heart as Chanyeol filled the cracks in his soul. He had never felt so full of love, even after crying out every insecurities and ugly secret that flawed his body like scars.

“Please...please don’t ever leave me again.” Baekhyun sobbed, holding the witch closer as phantom touches haunted his body.

“I won’t  _ ever _ leave you. I’ll protect you at  _ any _ cost.” Chanyeol lined their bodies up so every crevice was pressed against each other, not even enough room to breath their own air. He pressed their accelerated hearts together, separate yet beating in tandem. Sharing so much more than breath and heartbeats.

“ _ I promise _ .”


	9. Chapter 9

There was warmth surrounding him, like being swaddled in new morning sunlight. Hard lines were pressed between his body with his arm lazily slung out, fingers gracing heated and bare skin. The side of Baekhyun’s face rested where he could hear the faint yet reassuring beating of a steady heart, a heavy weight draped over his waist comfortably. Wherever he was, his mostly asleep brain registered, he never wanted to leave.

He was too lethargic to move when the body beneath him began to shift, heavy arm lifting away from his waist. Large yet gentle hands repositioned him, setting him deeper under the covers that felt cold without his personal heater. Baekhyun must’ve made a noise of discontent, because the mattress dipped deeper beside him. Shadows danced behind his eyes as someone hovered over him, a soft pair of lips kissing his temple.

They lingered a second longer, then the weight in the mattress lifted. Baekhyun turned over and cuddled into the residual heat left behind in the mattress, grabbing blindly and settling for a pillow to hold between his now empty arms. It wasn’t the same, but the human couldn’t complain. He was simply too tired, eyes briefly opening to see the wide expanse of a barren back before slipping back into darkness.

It didn’t take long before he was asleep again.

————————————

When Baekhyun awoke, he was slow in coming to. He felt so well rested it seemed a crime to try and wake up, his eyelids heavy as they blinked offbeat. He stretched, bowing his back and flopping around under the foreign covers as he did so. He huffed, snuggling further under the sheets while he was on his stomach. Baekhyun had never related more to a cat in his entire life, he was living the  _ life _ .

But all good things must come to an end, and while Baekhyun was comfortable, he was also growing bored as sleep slipped further away from him. He ended up sitting up on a whim, forcing himself to slouch under the weight of gravity before he could succumb to the covers anymore than he already had. The human rubbed his eyes, pouting as he squinted out on the room he was sat in.

_ This wasn’t his room _ .

He crawled out from under the sheets and inched his way over to the edge of the monstrous mattress, heart flipping funnily when he glanced upon familiar runes lining the underneath of the bed. He must be in Chanyeol’s room, the witch having carried him up after he’d cried himself to sleep in his secure embrace.  _ He hadn’t left Baekhyun alone _ .

Baekhyun grew red and turned all gooey inside, shaking out the weird jitters. He swung his legs over, toes barely brushing the floor, and vaulted himself off. He winced at the shock that shot up through his foot, cursing the floor for no reason. When he peeped his head out of the door, the sunlight from downstairs shone all the wall into the wide corridor. Everything seemed so much brighter now, birds would’ve been chirping had Baekhyun not been a hundred stories in the air. Quite frankly, he was closer to the clouds than any wildlife.

But as Baekhyun dangerously skipped down the stairs, he found the area to be empty of any blue witch or his variety of fun characters...namely Sehun. He wandered into the kitchen, a little lost as he meandered to the fridge and got out some milk to absently sip on. But when he opened the cupboard to retrieve a cup, he was pleasantly surprised to find a colorful post-it note stuck to the doors backside. He plucked it as he stole a crystalline cup, still trying to convince Chanyeol to invest in some plastic ones.

He read the short note as he poured himself some milk.

_ Hey Baekhyun, I knew you like to raid the kitchen every morning when you wake up and figured it was the best place to put my note. I’ve left for early morning work and won’t be back until late, but I didn’t wish to wake you from your slumber. Don’t do anything reckless while I’m gone. _

_ ~ Chanyeol. _

So, basically don’t break anything...Baekhyun couldn’t make any promises. He was a free spirit, if he wished to break a glass, he would break the glass. He would not be held down by The Man! Baekhyun was a rebellious soul!

That being said, he spent the rest of the day in the movie room as he binge watched all the shitty rom com movies Chanyeol owned just to take the piss out of them. What could he say? The human amused himself.

When the sun set yet again and his body felt gross with a day filled with nothingness, he walked down to wander about the first floor. He stimulated his brain with writing down more runes, the late hours of the night waning to the early hours of the morning. Somewhere in between he fell asleep amidst his notes on his bed, crunched uncomfortably forward.

Enter Chanyeol. The witch made his sweeping entrance as he shrugged off his suit jacket in one go, giving the living room and kitchen a once over before strolling to Baekhyun’s room. The light was still on, but as he knocked he was given no answer. His heart soared at the adorable human who was slouched forward in the most unpleasant form, who had fallen asleep waiting for him. Chanyeol couldn’t wait until all of the trial shit was done and over with, all he wanted was to come home before the sun set and spend time with his little human.

Chanyeol neatly gathered the notes, organizing the uneven pages and setting them on the night stand under a paperweight. He pulled the hoodie off of Baekhyun and proceeded to tuck him under the covers, shocked at how much the human managed to sleep in a day. He was a perfect juxtaposition to the coven leader, who was a light sleeper with less than six hours under his belt every night. That was  _ if _ he was lucky.

The human looked so peaceful when he slept, it was something Chanyeol had noticed when he had carried the slumbering brunette up to his own room. He had no more worries or stresses to fog his mind, it was just Baekhyun and whatever dream he would eventually forget in the morning. The witch had always found couples who watched each other in their sleep creepy, it didn’t seem cute to him. What’s so attractive about staring at a person drooling onto their pillow?

He was now the biggest hypocrite.

Chanyeol brushed away stray hairs and sat with his feet dangling off of the bed, placing barely there touches all over Baekhyun’s tranquil face. He caressed his softer features; his supple cheekbones, his arched brow bone, hooking his fingers right under the jaw bone to press harder on the strong bone. That was one of his favorite features, his jawline. Although much softer than his, it held a nicely arched shape. But more importantly, it led to his long and curved neck. Chanyeol just wanted to kiss it, sink his teeth into the unblemished flesh and taste it for himself.

It was hard enough to control himself when the situations were a bit more innocent, when all he wanted was to hold Baekhyun close to him and never let the petite male go. But when he woke up that morning to the human so greedily clinging to his bare chest, it was more difficult than Chanyeol would have liked to admit to not claim his lips for as his own. To  _ not _ press Baekhyun into the mattress and awaken the human to the half naked witch licking into his mouth, pressing their bodies together until they melded into one.

The thought alone brought a furious light to the coven leaders' sigil, bathing the humans soft features in a harsh blue glow. His hand stopped short of his neck, quickly redirecting to his exposed collarbones. Now  _ those _ were prominent, deep divots and indents created from the raised bone. Chanyeol stroked along the clavicle, bracing his other hand beside the humans head to hover above him.

The witch had never seen someone more beautiful. To think, this was the same man who was throwing up chunks of his organs during their third true meeting, someone who was a walking skeleton with his hair dulling only to fall out. He was a husk of a human, yet Baekhyun was the strongest individual Chanyeol ever had the pleasure of meeting. No witch had ever survived and fully recovered from a Traeger, much less after a  _ week _ of the parasite sucking out their soul. But the longer Chanyeol came to know Baekhyun, the more his actions seemed to shroud in mystery.

Such an ethereal being, yet was born as human as they come. Someone who insisted he was ordinary when he regularly did the  _ extraordinary _ . The same male who single handedly stole one of the most powerful coven leaders' hearts as if it were free candy, all with a lethal smile.

Chanyeol was well, and truly, fucked.

He leaned down and pressed a tender kiss to Baekhyun’s forehead, affectionately resting his own in the same place. The insignia branded into his head burned at the contact, causing Chanyeol to wince. Never once has his sigil reacted so strongly to anything, much less hurt him. It caused the witch to lean away, the ache echoing and lingering even as he got up to leave. With one last glance back at the sleeping human and his faint smile, Chanyeol managed to walk away with a tired yet full heart.

————————————

Chanyeol padded soundlessly down the dim steps, tall stature blocking out moonlight wherever he walked. He hadn’t remembered waking up, only walking down his waning stairs and heading towards the darkened hallway nestled underneath said stairs. That’s where he found himself stopped outside Baekhyun’s bedroom, heart irregularly palpitating as he grasped the metal handle with his clammy hand.

He creaked open the door, light from the full moon pouring into the bedroom like lost curls of fog. The soft caresses of light cutting smoothly across the slumbering human’s face as Baekhyun slept soundly on his bed. He didn’t stir as the coven leader crept closer, drawn forward like a moth to a flickering flame.

As Chanyeol towered over the vulnerable human, he looked over the illuminated features that casted shadows over the rest of his face. Everything seemed so well orchestrated that the witch almost believed the moon wanted him to see Baekhyun so perfectly constructed under something so simple as its moonlight. His gaze drifting past the blocks of shadows and his own oblong blockage of light, straight towards Baekhyun's exposed arm that shimmered a stark gossamer where it was sprawled across his pillows. Even in sleep, the human held an eerie sense of grace.

The witch drew nearer, but didn’t dare to step onto the bed. He didn’t want to awake the slumbering human, the one he had tucked in not too long ago. The same one he had touched and kissed, but left to let him sleep in peace. Still, it didn’t stop him from touching his cheek. It was so colorless.

Chanyeol beheld the human’s limp wrist in his hand, having slid his own from its place caressing his face to skimming the cool skin of his exposed arm. He pressed two fingers against his delicate pulse point, waiting for the telltale thumps of blood pushing past the pressure and into his hand.

Only, Chanyeol didn’t feel a thing. He readjusted his hand so he was holding the others, only then noticing how ice cold Baekhyun’s fingers were. They usually possessed a certain level of coolness, but his hands seemed like they were dipped in glacial water and left to freeze in an ice box.

Chanyeol still somehow felt calm, practically weightless as he again looked more closely at the human's peaceful expression. His eyelids didn’t flutter, his chest didn’t heave, and his previous movements ceased as though they had never existed. Baekhyun‘s face was so pale it glowed in what little moonlight filtered through the shrouded window, painted a wraith's white.

As if possessed by some foreign force, Chanyeol reached for the covers and pulled back the chilled sheets. In what could only be a witch’s illusion, a grand meandering blade protruded from the humans abdomen. It curved in and out like waves until it reached a wicked point that was buried in brunette's stomach, shadows ebbing from the exposed blade. The blackened dagger glinted in an unseen light, engraved runes within the metal glowing an iridescent green that cackled and gleamed under Chanyeol’s attention.

The covers pooled at Baekhyun’s exposed knees, semi-translucent sleep shirt soaked nearly black with his blood.  _ Tainted _ by the desecrated blade. The pommel of the imposing dagger had a cascade of tassels, hilt embossed in long swirls, and blood splattered all the way to the guard. It stood as still as the human's unmoving body, as if frozen in time. Ebony swirls of shadows oozed from the hilt and spilled down like cold air in a freezer, gliding over the grey of Baekhyun’s flesh.

The witch felt himself sway, his vision swimming darkly as he realized he had yet to breathe since he’d gripped the covers. The horror before him came when he looked back at his ethereal human, only to find that unsettling calm replaced by agony. Torture screwed his face tight, as if his last moments were spent in a silent scream.

The bed was low enough that when Chanyeol felt his knees buckle, they simply bumped into the bed, his knees pressing into the mattress beside the corpse. The body had long since been dead, yet thick blood still pooled where his weight sunk into the mattress. It permeated through his sweat pants and stuck to his skin like curdled sludge, slithering up his skin and staining the flesh of his bare chest with its . Of all the gore he’d seen, this was what made the coven leader sick.

He reached towards the hilt of the sword, hearing its hisses and scratched whispers beckoning him forward. Baekhyun still looked fundamentally the same from when he left him that night for bed...yet so much had happened since then. Since he had bid him a whispered goodnight and slipped into his own lonely bed. How could so much have happened in such a short amount of time? Right under his nose, in his own home.

He had promised Baekhyun he’d protect him, promised to never leave him alone. Yet, here he was...the only beating heart within the desolate penthouse.

His fingers graced the rough wrapping of the hilts emboss, something like cold lightning shooting through his arm and cramping the muscles until they locked painfully in his arm. Chanyeol grunted under the pressure of his own body seizing up, trying to snatch his hand back only to have it helplessly cramp in the space between himself and the cursed blade.

He could feel his magic throbbing within his electrified veins, everything shot and fraying down to his nerve endings. The witch could feel tears as his arm went numb and curled stiffly in from the pain, magic unresponsive as pressure built behind his temples. He bore his teeth to the shadows in the walls as he growled through the agony, angling his head to see the empty stare of Baekhyun’s now opened eyes.

The corpse had glazed eyes with fading clarity, a bluish grey film overtaking the omnipresent orbs. His lips were ashy and blue, body startling in how fast it was decomposing. They cracked as he smiled a lopsided grin, head lolling as his cold fingers brushed Chanyeol’s bloodied thigh but had no more strength to go anywhere else. The touch burned a cold unlike anything the witch had ever felt, the smile racking sharpened claws down his spine. His words like whispers into the shadows, guttural rasps against his rotting vocal cords, and knives through Chanyeol’s wounded heart.

_ “At least you’re tried.” _

Chanyeol woke with a start, disoriented at first by all the darkness that shrouded him. He felt no relief when he realized he was in his own room, shoving off his offending covers and swinging his feet to the floor. There was no guiding light with a crescent moon, the coven leader blindly rushing down the stairs and down the corridor where his human was residing.

The door creaked as it opened, no light marring where the room met the hallway as the coven leader stood as a blended shadow in the doorway of the room. There was a slight blue glow radiating where his sigil burned, shining the human in an unnatural and dim light. Chanyeol stood stock still as he watched the motionless human, frozen in the doorway as if bewitched. The nightmare felt exactly like this, a torrent of emotions threatening to seize his lungs until he could breathe no more.

Chanyeol was helpless, unable to do anything but watch in pain.

The human’s nose twisted in a dissatisfied scrunch as he flopped around within his mound of covers. It was only after burying himself deeper beneath the pounds of fabric, did his face smooth over like glass. He was then breathing soundly again in the quiet of his room, contentedly ignorant to the turmoil that had wreaked the witch who stood within his room.

Baekhyun didn’t even stir at the foreign presence, only from the apparent cold within the witch’s unnaturally cool penthouse. Chanyeol didn’t know whether he should feel relieved or terrified at the revelation, the empty eyes of Baekhyun's corpse staring back at him in the light of a full moon was branded behind his eyelids. It haunted him whenever he closed his eyes.

Still, the irrational part of the witch had him moving further into the room. Warm hands finding the cooler ones of the human before grasping them in his own. He could feel the strong flutter of his pulse against his fingers, as if his heart was so strong it could pump blood through his veins and burst out of his chest to the freedom of the outside world.

Chanyeol watched as Baekhyun’s eyes opened for the briefest of moments, eyes shining blue under the sigils glow, before fluttering close and remaining so even as the witch sat through the waning hours of morning. Clutching his hand loosely and matching his heartbeat to that of the humans much stronger one.

Even as Baekhyun’s sleeping form slowly curled around the intrusion of the witch’s body, he remained far from the waking world. Chanyeol almost couldn’t bring himself to let go, to tell himself that Baekhyun was still alive and breathing. That he still possessed a vibrant soul that painted wherever he went in bright whites and gold, that the strong aura that came to overtake his home had yet to die and dwindle to nothing but a rotting corpse of grey and blue.

It was hard to let go of that thumping pulse, of that lively sing in his blood. But alas, Chanyeol tucked the exposed arm back into place, promptly ignoring the discontent look on Baekhyun’s face. Even as he stood up and walked towards the bursting light of dawn, he could still feel the drum of his pulse pressing against his skin. A rhythm he didn’t forget for the rest of the day.

————————————

Baekhyun sat on the desk in Chanyeol’s study, going through fabric swatches of potential suits he’d wear at the trial in a few days. Chanyeol was going to take him out to some shopping center on the border of the Witchin District tomorrow, leaving a hasty note to pick a style and fabric. In all honesty, Baekhyun found suits to be attractive as hell...but equally as confusing. The only times he had ever worn a suit was for funerals or court dates, and on both occasions he hadn’t been the one calling the shots.

There were just so many damn  _ fabrics _ , and they felt  _ expensive _ . Some fancy ass words were scribbled on the tags stapled to on the back of the swatches, and Baekhyun’s peasant mind couldn’t even register what fanciful language they were in. It had to be French, everything fancy was from France.

Baekhyun knew he’d probably need new measurements too, he wasn’t bony and  _ as _ close to death as he had been. Last he checked, he couldn’t see his ribs protruding anymore. He’d done a little happy dance and ate a tub of ice cream just because he  _ could _ . But he tried to be serious as he looked through the dozens of fabric squares, flipping through the colors and threads until he lost which ones he’d already seen and those he hadn’t.

Giving up, Baekhyun unlatched the ring holding the swatches together. He decided he’d throw them up in the air and grab the first one he saw when they fell to the ground. Seemed reasonable. Tossing the ring to the floor, he waited until the  _ clanging _ died out to throw the swatches out like a flurry of snowflakes. He excitedly grabbed the one nearest to the center, one of the only ones that was flipped so he couldn’t see the result.

The tag said  _ Timberwolf: #D7E1D0, Thread Count: 160, 100% Virgin Wool _ . Baekhyun had no fucking idea what that meant, but it was a pretty greenish-grey color so he wouldn’t complain.

“Having fun there?” The swatches littering the study floor suddenly began to hover an inch above ground, lining up neatly to hook back onto the lost ring they’d been home to. Baekhyun looked sheepishly up at where Sehun cleaned his mess with an unimpressed expression, appearing just as bitchy as usual.

“I was doing what I was told.” Baekhyun countered, holding up the single swatch as proof. “ _ See? _ “

Sehun snorted, snatching the fabric from Baekhyun’s loose hold. He raised a brow as he flipped the light colored fabric to read the tag. “Expensive taste I see.”

“Is it?” Baekhyun asked, stealing back the swatch and rereading the tag as if he would somehow know what it meant the second time around. Sehun cackled, the most patronizing and demeaning laugh that could possibly leave a humanoid body. He roughly ruffled his hair, burning Baekhyun’s scalp as he did so. The latter growled as he smacked it away, tucking the swatch into his hoodie pocket.

“It’s  _ quite _ expensive. I don’t know how you managed to pick out one of the priciest fabrics when there were literally a  _ hundred _ other options.”

Now Baekhyun felt bad, crossing his arms as he turned red. “Well if it’s too much I’ll just grab another one, it’s not like I’m going to cry over getting a different fabric.”

Sehun rolled his eyes, snickering when he moved past Baekhyun and deeper into the study. “I wouldn’t worry about it. If you were anyone else I’m sure it’d be a problem.”

“What’s that supposed to mean?”

The silver witch sighed, as if he were dealing with a troublesome child who was too stupid to understand the  _ simplest _ things. Sitting down in the leather wingback, the witch crossed his legs in a picture of sophisticated grace. But his smiles always seemed so resentful and feral, as if Sehun couldn’t decide if he was angry or bitter. “Don’t play dumb with me human, we all know you two are sleeping together.”

That stopped Baekhyun, whose jaw dropped to gap at the nonchalant witch. He was in shock, him and Chanyeol weren’t fucking!  _ They hadn’t even kissed yet! _ Baekhyun colored at the thought, but quickly grew enraged as the accusations processed. Did Sehun really think of him as some  _ whore _ ? Did he think Baekhyun was  _ manipulating _ Chanyeol by- what- sex!

“I’m sorry.” Baekhyun replied evenly. “But what the  _ fuck _ did you just say?”

Sehun kicked his feet up onto the polished mahogany, nearly kicking the pencil holder from its place and onto the floor. His hair glinted in the mid afternoon sun, eyes scrunching with his close lipped smile. The witch was messing with a letter opening in his hands, twirling the sharp end like a screw as he pressed it into his finger. “Are you always this PG? I said you’re  _ fucking _ and we know it.”

“And who is this ‘we’ you speak of?” Baekhyun challenged, feeling a silent rage build behind his rib cage like a skulking storm. The kind no one could predict until it had already struck. “Because I have the sneaking suspicion you’re just  _ jealous _ .”

Sehun threw his head back to laugh, riotous cackles akin to a cat hacking furballs. He hit his own chest to dispel the laughter, wiping his eyes of tears that gathered. “You’re so lucky you're someone's type, because that mind of yours is  _ delusional _ .”

Sehun sighed, grin dancing on his lips as he kicked his feet off of the desk. The metal pencil holder went crashing but Baekhyun didn’t even flinch, staring heatedly at the witch from under his dark fringe. The occult was still twirling that golden letter opening as he rounded the desk, kicking the pencil holder at his feet.

“Is it so  _ wrong _ that I want my closest friend to love someone who’s actually  _ worth _ the trouble? It could be a fey, a siren, a damn  _ pixie _ .” Sehun stood in front of Baekhyun, whose face was alight in seething rage, and pressed the sharpened tip of his letter opener to the humans chest. His smirk was a snarl, enunciating every word with a push to the sternum. “Anybody but  _ you _ .”

Baekhyun grabbed the golden knife and pushed it away from his chest, far less afraid of Sehun than he was of Chanyeol when he fought with the coven leader.

“I can only imagine how  _ hard _ it is for you to accept this.” Baekhyun whispered, hand squeezing harder around the sharp object. “But you’re a big boy Sehun. I believe you can take your whining complaints, shove it up your ass, and go  _ fuck off _ . For the betterment of everyone.”

“You have some  _ gall _ to talk to me like that  _ whore _ .” Sehun hissed, pressing the letter opener back towards Baekhyun’s chest. It pierced his sternum, but the human never backed down from a challenge. He was unfazed.

“Funny.” Baekhyun stepped closer to the witch, meeting those silver eyes with a cold fire burning on his own. “I was going to say the  _ exact same _ thing to you.  _ Whore _ .”

Baekhyun threw his head forward, striking the silver witch with his forehead. But with the height difference, it went straight to Sehun’s nose. The latter cursed, releasing his hold on the letter opener. The human snatching it from his loosened hold and chucking it into the living room. Baekhyun then kicked his foot out to hook it behind the weakened witch’s knee, sending him crumbling to the ground.

He quickly sprinted out of the study, running to the elevator and finding himself waiting more than a few seconds.  _ Fuck _ . The elevator was on the bottom floor, and the penthouse didn’t have any emergency stairs. It was a home made for a damn witch, not a human who  _ pissed off _ a witch. Baekhyun hadn’t thought this out.

The sound of slamming doors jerked him out of his stupor, the study’s sliding doors having been flung off their rails. The hallway to the elevator was a dead end, the only way to safety would be to run back towards the witch. Thinking swiftly, Baekhyun quickly ran and slid on his knees, gliding right to the kitchen out of sight.

“Where are you, you little  _ bitch _ !” Sehun’s voice boomed out, shaking the chandelier’s dangling crystals above the living room. He was absolutely  _ fuming, _ Baekhyun peeking out from behind the kitchen island to see blood dripping from the witch’s nose.  _ Uh oh _ ...

“Come out you  _ fucking waste of space _ -“ A loveseat was sent flying, gusts of wind beginning to pick up in the enclosed space. “Or I’ll  _ make _ you come out.”

Fuck. Fuck fuck fuck  _ fuck _ .

The items on the kitchen countertops began to fall to the floor, capsules of sugar and unused pans sweeping across the ground in the gaining downdrafts. Baekhyun was smacked by multiple coffee pods as they made their way around the island in their own tornado, containers of flour and other substances banging against the cabinets as they flew.

But then, the chiseled block of wood that held all the fundamental kitchen knives was swept away. Blades of all shapes and sizes were yanked from their slots and shot into the cabinets at lightning speed. A cleaver even went spinning by Baekhyun, landing at the cabinet nearest to his toes. The human felt his heart stop, tucking his legs in as he stared at the buried knife.

A steak knife made its rounds around the island, whizzing by Baekhyun twice before it went soaring straight to his face. The human couldn’t control the scream he released when he pushed himself off the cabinet, narrowing escaping the steak knife that sheathed itself where he once hid. Almost instantly, dread filled Baekhyun. Sehun knew where he was now.

The winds swirling around the island grew, sweeping Baekhyun across the floor with their force. The human rolled as he was dragged, stumbling to a crouch and immediately getting smacked by an opened cabinet door. His back flared at the pain, but the human took it as an advantage. Gripping the inside of the cabinet to ground himself, he reached into the cupboard and began to chuck pans as hard as he could into the living room. They would crash into the walls or furniture before ever getting close to Sehun, but it was better than nothing.

“Come on out Baekhyun!” He shouted over the rising winds, more cabinets opening for emphasis. Baekhyun tucked himself into his now empty cupboard as metal went soaring past, a few projectile utensils landing their shots against his curled body. “You should have thought twice before fucking with me! I’m no coven leader, but I’m a  _ god _ compared to what you’ve had to face.”

Besides the initial thought of Sehun being a bit  _ too _ full of himself, Baekhyun really did take back what he said earlier. Sehun was  _ so _ much more terrifying than Chanyeol. At least the latter had been quick and dissociated with his magic, but Sehun was cognizant and actively pursuing him. It was like a damn horror movie, except Baekhyun was dumb enough to break the nose of the killer with superpowers.

“I think we got off on the wrong foot!” Baekhyun yelled out, voice muffled by the cabinet. “Maybe we should talk it out?”

A butter knife suddenly embedded itself into the humans' opened cabinet door, vibrating like a tuning fork from the pure  _ force _ of its trajectory. Baekhyun reached towards it and yanked it out with much difficulty. He was about to do something very stupid, but if he was going to die...it’s going to be on his own terms.

Baekhyun crawled out from his hidey hole, feet swept off the floor to leave his body flapping in the wind like a flag in a tornado. The human grit his teeth as he held stubbornly into the cabinet, touching his feet to the ground after much ab and arm strength. He peeped his head over the island and flung the butter knife, narrowing dodging a ring of crystal measuring cups.

Sehun violently threw back his arm, sending the projectile way off course and slamming into the glass wall. There was a deafening  _ crack _ , a small spider web of cracks sprouting from the knife shaped point of origin. Baekhyun’s eyes widened, staring at the bloodied and seething witch.

“Is it too late for an apology?” A pot went soaring near his head. “Is that a no? Well to be fair you accused me first!”

“Chanyeol should have  _ never _ saved you!” Sehun yelled, hands closing to white skinned fists as the wind grew almost too strong to hear the witch’s voice. “You’re nothing but trouble!  _ You’ll be the end of us all! _ “

Baekhyun ducked again as cushions thudded lifelessly into the kitchen. “You think I asked for this! You’re preaching to the choir!” He screamed, standing up tall enough to make eye contact with the man's iron for eyes. “I understand the most out of everyone how much of a burden I am!”

His tears were quickly swept away with the winds, ears abused with the loud white noise. “Sometimes I think it’d be easier if I were dead!”

The winds suddenly stopped, pots and pans clashing to the ground in a cacophony of shrill noise. A pillow flung pitifully into Baekhyun’s shoulder, flopping onto the countertop as the human straightened shakily. “You don’t think I don’t  _ know _ Chanyeol is too good for me? You don’t think I  _ know _ how much of a  _ fuck up _ I am? You don’t  _ think _ you’re telling me shit I already know!”

Baekhyun stumbled out of the kitchen, pointing a shaking hand accusingly at Sehun. “Well guess what  _ shithead _ , you aren’t much better either!”

The witch’s hands had fallen to his sides, but they were still curled into fists. He looked every bit as defiant as Baekhyun felt daily, but the human was fucking  _ done _ with him. He didn’t care if Sehun went and fucked off to oblivion! As long as he would stop shoving his bitchy attitude down his throat in hopes he’d choke the human.

“ _ You _ . What have I  _ done _ to you?” Baekhyun was genuinely curious. There wasn’t a day that went by that Sehun didn’t remind him of how much he  _ hated _ the humans guts. “All you have done is make my life more of a  _ living _ hell than it already was. You take any shred of happiness I have and stomp on it like a bug, squishing out any ray of fucking sunshine that is the shitstorm of my life!”

Baekhyun came to stand in front of Sehun, lips quivering and tears streaming down his face. He was reminded of all the bullies from middle school, all the kids who would push him around and never tell him why. But instead of crying to his mother, he was crying at the foot of the biggest pain in his ass since Eunjae came along. He was waving his white flag, he  _ surrendered _ .

“Why...” Baekhyun whispered, searching those liquid mercury eyes. “Just tell me what I’ve done wrong...”

Sehun, the picture of grace and stoic beauty, with his broken nose and bloodied face,  _ shrugged _ . “You deserve it.”

It crushed Baekhyun.

The telltale sound of a knell sung, announcing the elevator's arrival. The sound of heavy footfalls echoed in the silent penthouse, Baekhyun desperately searching Sehun for  _ anything _ . But the man was cold, he was a witch in every sense of the word. He didn’t deserve Baekhyun’s efforts, he had rejected every olive branch no matter how many times it was offered. The witch had saved Baekhyun twice now, and yet resented the task.

So, when Chanyeol stopped short of the living room, eyes taking in the carnage of his home, Baekhyun should have let him have it.

“What the  _ fuck _ is going on here.” It wasn’t a question, and Chanyeol wasn’t happy.

Baekhyun still had his back turned to the coven leader, watching the silver witch’s apathetic face as the latter stared past the humans shoulder. Looked  _ straight _ into Chanyeol’s blue enraged eyes, and said  _ nothing _ .

“It was my fault.”

Baekhyun turned around to face the newcomer, unconsciously putting his hands up in a placating manner. He took a few hesitant steps forward, tentatively stepping between the witches intense stare off. “Sehun didn’t mean to.”

“What the fuck are you on Baekhyun?” Chanyeol snapped, sigil bleeding a dark blue. “I know you couldn’t have magically thrown shit about! That’s that fucker’s job!”

Baekhyun stepped closer, shaking his head. “No, you have it all wrong. It’s just all one big misunderstanding-“

“Don’t cover for this asshole.” Baekhyun flinched as the harsh edge of his words, like a snake's fangs sinking into his skin. “If he is going to pull shit like this,  _ endanger _ you for whatever fucking reason, he should be removed from the Scraper  _ immediately _ .”

Baekhyun panicked, quickly traversing the tarnished terrain to put his hands to Chanyeol’s heaving chest. He could possibly be  _ more _ pissed than Sehun, wisps of energy slithering out from his arms and color invading his veins until they glowed cobalt. The light was bleeding up higher, hooking around the coven leaders jawline and invading his eyes like pools of blue blood.

When he took a step forward, Baekhyun pushed back.

“It was Eunjae.”

Chanyeol stopped, monochrome eyes turning their bright light towards him. Baekhyun had to squint to meet them, making out the witch’s furrowed eyebrows and dwindling patience. “What the fuck do you mean it was  _ Eunjae _ ?”

Baekhyun pushed him back, dragging his hands down to rest them comfortably on the coven leader's toned abdomen. He hoped his voice sounded soothing, hoped he could pull the two of them out of the biggest fuck up with the most massive lie the human could manage.

“He was controlling Sehun’s mind.” Baekhyun started, preparing to roll the snowball down the hill. “Sehun came to check on my progress with my suit decision, and then he started to act all weird.”

“He began to use his powers against me.” Baekhyun spared a hot glance back, but Sehun didn’t show even the slightest shift in expression. “He was saying all these- these  _ horrible _ things about me, about how he was going to get me and shit like that. I really thought I was going to die.”

Chanyeol was still tense under his fingertips, and Baekhyun curled his shaking hands into the males crease free button up. He offered a shaky smile, hoping it looked reassuring so he wasn’t digging his own grave. “But I was able to throw something at Sehun and it landed. I think I broke his nose, but it got him to stop his tornado of pots and pans so...”

Baekhyun was starting to hate witches and their tendencies to simply watch on with no expression. Both Chanyeol and Sehun were doing that right now, watching Baekhyun but not giving away what they were thinking. He felt a spectacle, like he was being ogled at behind a double sided mirror. It made him unnerved, but he stranded his ground nonetheless.

“Sehun.” Chanyeol said, monotonous voice carrying across the spacious living room. “Is this true?”

Baekhyun turned to watch Sehun, the blood on his face dried from the high winds. The trio were suspended in complete silence, buzzing and alive with tension. The human wanted to cry, the atmosphere almost too much for his frayed brain to handle. He wanted to scream at him to just  _ say something _ ,  _ anything! _

The human caught the quick glance Sehun shot him, brief and full of unreadable emotion. Then, he went back to staring at the blue veined coven leader. “Yes.”

“Then you’re dismissed.”

Chanyeol was still alive with magic, numbing Baekhyun’s hands where they touched him. The latter nearly collapsed at the declaration, wanting to curl in on himself and cry into oblivion. It worked.

Sehun ducked out thereafter, disappearing into the elevator and off to wherever it was witches like Sehun went. Baekhyun took a step back, high on adrenaline with a slight tremble in his hands. He didn’t know how they were going to fix the penthouse, or if  _ they _ were to be the ones to do it. In all honestly he was still trying to process the past thirty minutes or so.

“Why did you lie for him?”

Baekhyun paused, fingers frozen from where he had just untangled them from the witch’s shirt. Oddly enough, Chanyeol still hadn’t banished away that magic that altered his appearance. His eyes were still glowing, ravines of pulsing energy the same color as his sigil crisscrossing beneath the skin. “I don’t understand the question.”

Chanyeol didn’t seem mad, but his tone was so frustratingly even that Baekhyun couldn’t grasp what it was. All he could do was play with the bottom of the coven leader's shirt, tugging at where the fabric met to tuck snuggly into the little line of buttons. The witch didn’t stop him.

“You lied. I want to know why.”

“I didn’t lie.” Baekhyun meekly insisted, cursing his wavering tone. He ended up just looking down at his fingers, where tiny wisps of blue swirled around his hands like floating ghosts.

“I’m not mad.” Chanyeol finally said, breaking the silence between them. He tried to hide the growing shake in his hands and the evident pain that shot through his arms. He kept his face cool. “I’m just curious as to why you risked so much for Sehun, when he was clearly the one who did this.”

Baekhyun peeked out at the carnage that littered their home; the overturned tables and chairs, the kitchenware scattered about as far as the stone steps, and the knives the human was sure Chanyeol hadn’t seen yet. He had hoped to save Sehun for some reason unknown to even him. But at the mention of kicking the witch out of his home because of something Baekhyun instigated, now, the human couldn’t stand for that. He would never forgive himself.

“He didn’t deserve whatever you were going to do to him.” Baekhyun whispered, stepping closer and leaning his head on the witch's chest. His heart was beating so  _ fast _ ...faster than he’d ever heard. “It was partly my fault anyway.”

Baekhyun expected more interrogation, like asking the human what had started it or why it had escalated. But Chanyeol simply pushed Baekhyun away, his hand sending a jolt to the brunette's body like an electric shock. He winced, but shockingly Chanyeol didn’t apologize.

“I have to go.”

Baekhyun gave him a bemused look. “Where are you-“

But the next thing he knew, the witch was gone.

Baekhyun blinked. Then he blinked again. But the witch didn’t appear.

“What the fuck?” Baekhyun searched the kitchen, then he searched the study, then he even went as far as to navigate through the living room to check his own bedroom. He was left scratching his head, Chanyeol having quite literally disappeared into thin air.

————————————

The next time Baekhyun saw Chanyeol was the following day, when the latter was watching after a few underling witches as they repaired the penthouse. The human sidled up to the coven leader; dressed in black jeans, his worn docs, and his favorite yellow hoodie. The color went well with the faded red of his padded jacket, and as they were preparing to head out that day, Baekhyun decided he didn’t want to look  _ too _ shitty.

“Hey.” Baekhyun bumped his shoulder against Chanyeol’s, not liking the seriousness that permeated from his stiff stature. “You alright? You kind of left me yesterday.”

It was as abrupt as it was mysterious, Chanyeol having gotten all worked up and then dipped seconds later. Baekhyun had even stayed up later than usual, but the witch must’ve snuck past him with his magic. The thought hurt, but Baekhyun was sure the coven leader had a reasonable explanation.

He shrugged, sending a sideways glance to Baekhyun. “Let’s not talk about it right now.”

Ouch. Baekhyun smiled vapidly, instantly turning around and walking straight to the elevator. It seemed the best strategy when dealing with Chanyeol when he got all moody was to ignore him until he either gets pissed or sulky enough to open up. So, Baekhyun gave zero tolerance and got into the elevator when it’s knell rang out.

He slipped on his mask, looking up to see Chanyeol giving him  _ that _ stoic expression. Baekhyun let his actions speak for himself, sliding the scissor gates closed and pressing the middle button. He leaned against the wall as the doors shut, hiding away his hands in his pocket with dark eyes staring out at the witch.

Chanyeol hated when Baekhyun got this way, all aloof and callous. He couldn’t tell Baekhyun just yet what had happened, it was a secret that only two other people knew, and they only knew because they saw it first hand. Chanyeol had actually kept his condition under wraps for years, but when hiding away such a fundamental part of yourself...it was only a matter of time before he broke.

He shouldn’t have gotten so worked up over Sehun, he should’ve controlled his anger better. The coven leader had always been so level headed and patient, it was required for his job. But something about coming home early and seeing his best friend with a bloodied nose and carnage around him while his human was in the middle of it all, it did something to him. It brought out an ugly, more feral side Chanyeol didn’t know he had. It made him want to rip apart his  _ best friend _ , he wasn’t the same man he’d grown up with.

But then, Baekhyun had come swooping in and  _ covered _ for him. Chanyeol had been a hundred different levels of confused, waiting for them to reveal it was all an elaborate prank and laugh in his face. But no, his golden hearted human had tried to take the heat off of the same witch who made it his goal to fuck up his life. The witch who was spiteful in his presence and spoke ill of him behind closed doors, the witch who’s trauma with humans carried over to Baekhyun. The witch who, Chanyeol feared, would one day leave his coven to fulfill his bloodlust towards humans in another.

The coven leader wrapped up things in the penthouse and made his way down to the lobby, tying and retying his pea coats sash. He had his natural hair unstyled, left to flop over his forehead as a wavy curtain of blue to hide his already camouflaged sigil. It was times like these he appreciated the insignia's iridescent appearance. While he was easily recognizable, the sigil took away a lot of that weight when it was hidden.

Baekhyun was reading one of those trashy magazines again, although Chanyeol wouldn’t dare say that to his  _ face _ , and he glanced up briefly at Chanyeol. He was still getting the silent treatment, but at least Baekhyun knew when to come along. Yuta was already outside waiting, playing with a yo-yo from god knows where.

“Sicheng?”

The reptilian smiled. “It was a gift.”

“You must have  _ really  _ been bothering him if he gave you a gift.” The driver cackled, his obnoxious laughs pervading through the car's metal frame. Baekhyun said nothing as Chanyeol walked around the car to get in on the right side, already buckled up and ready to ignore the witch for the entire ride there. Yuta was still laughing when he flopped into the car, starting the ignition and zooming down the street.

“You’re mad at me, aren’t you?” Baekhyun stared out of the window, saying nothing.

Chanyeol sighed. “I don’t expect you to understand what happened, but this doesn’t have anything to do with you.”

The human rolled his eyes as he watched colorful buildings flash by like an acid trip, sparse children running about the sidewalks in pairs. Baekhyun didn’t know how many times they would have this conversation, this skirting around vague explanations. He had thought they’d already gotten everything sorted out, that they were on the same page and there were no more secrets. But of course, he was wrong. Leave it to Chanyeol to pull yet another little secret out of his ass and leave it unexplained, then get all pissy when Baekhyun ignored him.

Maybe the human should just stop caring, perhaps he should stop bothering to worry himself over Chanyeol. It’d make his life so much easier.

“Whatever Chanyeol. You don’t have to tell me anything.”

“Don’t be like this Baekhyun.” Chanyeol sighed, and the human was offended by how he sounded annoyed. As if Baekhyun was at fault here. “It’s a sensitive issue.”

“I’m  _ sorry _ .” Baekhyun gasped. “I didn’t realize I wasn’t entitled to my own opinion, heaven forbid I feel any concern towards you. Well, I’ll just fuck right off altogether!”

The witch massaged his temples, eyebrows screwed in concentration. He couldn’t take this attitude right now, curt and petty and snippy. Chanyeol was stressed with the upcoming trial and Baekhyun wasn’t making his life any easier. Why couldn’t he just mind his own business for  _ two _ seconds.

“Fuck you.” Baekhyun spat. Oh,  _ he had said that out loud _ .

The coven leader wanted to refute, he hadn’t meant it as an insult. But Baekhyun was already fully facing away from him, his nose turned up at the window. Yuta sent him a sympathetic grin in the mirror, tuning into some radio station to dispel some of the tension in the backseat. It didn’t help the twinge in his temples, or the growing ache behind his eyes. It was enough for Chanyeol to go out this afternoon after yesterday, his body having protested simply getting out of bed.

If Baekhyun weren’t in the car, the witch would’ve already collapsed against the seats. Falling into a deep slumber and taking off his jacket to hide away from the bright lights that hurt his eyes. Instead, he had to conjure sunglasses and brave the outside world. The witch would have to tell Baekhyun eventually, as small as it may have seemed to Chanyeol, the human was never going to let this go. The coven leader cursed the brunette's keen senses, always able to pick up when something was wrong. He was foolish to think he could have left in peace without having to answer questions, but it was no one else’s fault but Chanyeol’s own.

He shouldn’t have pushed his magic so far in such a short amount of time...he knew better.

————————————

Chanyeol idly wandered in the tailors store, sweeping his hands over the rows and rows of suits and opulent refreshments at every lounging station. He quickly grew bored sipping champagne and kicking back on the leather couches, lifting his sunglasses to sit on his head and judge the variety of suits on the racks. Almost all of the materials were top of the line, thread counts all above the threshold of 150. The coven leader quite liked their selection of colored fabrics, having been a loyal customer of this particular tailor shop since his teenage years.

The witch had sent Baekhyun away with his most trusted tailor, Jinki, with a list of specifications. He had a funny feeling the human didn’t know anything about suits, being proven right when Baekhyun looked at the checklist and exclaimed  _ you can customize pockets?! _ It was endearing, and the coven leader would’ve ruffled his hair had the latter not been so pissed at him.

Chanyeol was examining a midnight blue two piece when a hand clapped his shoulder. If he wasn’t so damn tired, he would’ve jumped at the sudden presence. But he only lazily blinked and turned his head, seeing a grinning Jinki with a lost looking Baekhyun behind him. He didn’t even want to ask.

“I’ll have them over by the big day!” The occult exclaimed, gently guiding Baekhyun over to stand by Chanyeol. “I’ll put it on your tab.”

The witch nodded, rubbing tiredly at his eyes. The tailor laughed heartily, clapping his shoulder with enough force to rock the drowsy coven leader forward. “Take care of this one, will you?”

Baekhyun smiled sheepishly, wrapping an arm around the yawning witch to tug him towards the entrance. “I’ll do my best.”

Chanyeol closed his eyes as Baekhyun served as his guide, the crisp air of early winter pricking his face. The light hurt even through his eyelids, absently reaching up to slide his sunglasses back over his face. Baekhyun, surprisingly, said nothing.

“You want something to eat?” Chanyeol mumbled, forcing his eyes back open to weave more easily through the shopping center's afternoon crowd. He didn’t go out too often shopping, and the reason was all around him. The witch clumsily patted his head, double checking that his hair wasn’t styled.

“If you’re tired we should go home.” Chanyeol liked how he didn’t specify whose home it was.

“‘S fine.” The witch insisted, grounding his feet in the middle of the crowd. Baekhyun halted, still having his hand wrapped around his wrist. “I’m just a little tired, nothing major.”

Being in Baekhyun’s presence made him do crazy things. He knew the longer they stayed out, the more danger they were in. But they were in a damn shopping mall, as crowded as a public place can be in the middle of the day. Plus, he’d feel bad to cut the human off so soon when he knew Baekhyun never got the chance to go out. Chanyeol was here, and if anything happened, he’d keep his promise and protect Baekhyun.

Baekhyun didn’t look convinced, but then the witch slid his hand up and took the human’s hand in his own. His much larger hand intertwined with Baekhyun’s, smiling dopily as he squeezed. The human couldn’t say no to that.

So, the duo walked towards the heart of the outdoor mall. There was a mix of all sorts of food stands scattered throughout the mall, both mainstream and standalone businesses. Baekhyun ended up hopping towards one of the holes in the wall stores, one that sold odd cinnamon bites with large cups of sugary glaze. Chanyeol wondered how the male could be so thin when his sugar tooth was bigger than his stomach, inhaling the cinnamon bites like he was a damn vacuum.

“Did you even  _ taste _ them?”

Baekhyun paused as he was licking his sugar sticky hands, narrowing his eyes up at the witch’s judgmental look. “I don’t appreciate you  _ shaming _ me Park.”

“I did no such thing!” The human gave the most sarcastic hum as he looked away, holding his untouched glaze closer to his chest. Chanyeol flicked the side of his head, smiling at the humans warning hiss.

Chanyeol led the way towards the opposite side of the mall, where his rendezvous point with his reptilian driver was supposed to be. He was a few steps ahead of Baekhyun, who was still distractedly cleaning his hands like a lazed cat. The sun brought a welcomed heat to winter's bitter temperatures, shining its warmth down as a frigid wind whipped through the winding galleries of the shopping center.

Baekhyun suddenly faltered, spine straightening and hackles rising. His eyes widened as he began to search the joyous crowd of giggling teenagers and whining children for what had made him feel so odd. He didn’t know what he was looking for, but the human knew something was wrong. His heart was shouting at him, gut stirring in distrust. Baekhyun almost believed his paranoia was acting up again, trying to ruin his short day out when it had been looking up.

But then his knees weakened, ears straining as a harsh tinnitus slammed into him. He winced, dread coiling around his heart like a venomous snake, squeezing as an unknown threat lurked nearby.

“Chanyeol.” Baekhyun reached forward and tugged at the man's sleeve, getting a relaxed hum in response. The witch was busy absorbing the sun's rays, eyes drooping against the light. He didn’t look at the humans slightly panicked expression, but he felt the tight grip when Baekhyun grasped his hand.

The coven leader stopped, spinning on his heel to see Baekhyun’s eyes darting all over the mall. He resembled an anxious prey, cowering beneath the crowd with rigid shoulders and shaking eyes. “What’s wrong?”

Baekhyun shook his head, the feeling in his chest like an empty cavity. It kept growing the longer they stood there, a split in the sea of people. They needed to get out of there,  _ now _ .

“I have a bad feeling.” Baekhyun whispered, wishing to scratch at his skin that pricked with pins and needles. “Let’s go back.”

Chanyeol didn’t protest, ducking down lower so he wasn’t such a bright blue beacon. Adrenaline began to pump through his lethargic veins, but the witch still felt under the weather. He was nervous of what was hiding out in the crowd, but he was more worried about how his sluggish body was going to react when they eventually showed themselves.

Baekhyun wove with grace through the afternoon crowd, ripping through a small gaggle of loitering teenagers without so much as an apology. His clammy hand gripped harder at Chanyeol’s, dull nails digging into his pale skin. The witch tried to search for anything out of the ordinary, but it was futile. Whatever was bothering Baekhyun, he couldn’t sense it.

That’s when Baekhyun saw it.

The crowd parted for the briefest second, but it was enough. There was a man dressed in all black with a wide brimmed hat casting his face in shadow, clunky boot propped against the wall where he leaned. He had a shiny dagger in his hand, the metal polished and glinting dangerously from out underneath the shade. He looked  _ exactly _ like all the other witches who had attacked Baekhyun, his dark trench coat blending into the wall behind him.

Chanyeol jolted as Baekhyun suddenly changed direction, walking in a faster gait away from the middle of the mall. He moved fast, but Chanyeol easily kept up with his long strides. He didn’t get to ask before the human cursed, jerking him away from where he’d been heading.

Baekhyun spotted another one, except this one was a  _ female _ . She had sleeves that grew longer the closer they got to her hand, a cinched coat, and hair pulled back to a low pony. The black hair was pulled over her shoulder, the masked witch braiding small plaits nonchalantly. Baekhyun was beginning to panic.  _ How many have they sent this time? _

“Baekhyun-“

“There’s two of them.” The human cut off, eyes wildly searching for an escape route as they were cornered. “Same styled witches as before. There might be more.”

Chanyeol cursed, speeding up to a jog as he pulled Baekhyun along. When the latter looked back, he saw the dagger man standing next to the thin lady. They were both looking  _ right _ at him.

“Chanyeol-“

Three knives sung through the air, trails of magenta streaking right towards Baekhyun. They went crashing off course as Chanyeol flung out his free hand, sending them clattering lifelessly to the ground. Baekhyun stared back in disbelief as they began to run, stumbling as the female witch grew blades out from her shifting nails. He yanked Chanyeol, throwing off their momentum as they went crashing to the ground. Narrowly avoiding the flying weapons.

The coven leader dragged him up, intending to go down the small alleyway between shops to their right when the male witch appeared right in their way. Chanyeol quickly swerved, ducking behind a kiosk as a cleaver went spinning overhead. The two began to run down the gallery, but the shadowy witch appeared again. He cut off every route between shops and in air conditioned hallways, vaporizing from  _ nowhere _ to try and corral them towards the blade bitch.

“What the fuck!” Baekhyun yelled out in terror as the man came close enough to grab him, Chanyeol instinctively sending a shockwave of blue energy straight into his body. He poofed out of existence as if he was never there. But as soon as one was gone, two more appeared. The human thought he was seeing double, but blue flames erupted from the stone beneath their feet. Both vanished.

“What was  _ that? _ “ More flames roared as the witch’s apparent clones exponentially grew, blue fire swallowing kiosks and climbing up the walls of different stores. People screamed, innocent bystanders grabbing their children and running away from the hungry conflagration.

A wall of nearly white blaze shot up in front of them, Baekhyun digging his heels into the ground as Chanyeol went to run  _ through _ it. “Are you fucking crazy?!”

Chanyeol didn’t answer, quickly sweeping Baekhyun off the ground and continuing to sprint towards the wall of flame. The human didn’t know who it was screaming, him or the terrified patrons in the mall.

Baekhyun curled into the man's pressed suit, squeezing his eyes shut as he prepared to be lit on fire like dead driftwood. But as the hisses of the fire grew deafening, he still didn’t burn. Opening his eyes, he was blinded by blue light and licking flame. Belatedly, he realized he had never asked Chanyeol what his born gift was. But it was obvious as the wall of fire followed after them, breaking glass with its scorching heat and destroying the open corridors where they ran.

As they turned a corner, the fire stopped following them and Chanyeol set him down. The witch was out of breath, far too haggard from yesterday’s events. But it didn’t stop him from grasping the humans hand and  _ running _ . He didn’t care that his lungs burned him more than his fires, that his muscles ached from the combination of exhaustion and exercise. Chanyeol needed to get Baekhyun  _ out of this death trap _ before those mercenaries did something they regretted.

Chanyeol had practically spent all his magic, cursing the timing of it all. Sprinting with sweat pouring down the sides of his face, Chanyeol managed to break through the worst of the crowd and stumble onto the city’s streets. Yuta was just at the other end of it, the coven leader had to hold out only a  _ little bit _ longer.

Baekhyun followed Chanyeol closely as they wove through crying children and screaming patrons, black smoke streaming out of the top of the mall in thick plumes. The sky was darkening with smoke, the human coughing as more funneled out into the atmosphere. Now he realized why Chanyeol never mentioned his gift, much less  _ used _ it.

The air turned humid with heat, steam and fumes mingling as Baekhyun began to feel ill again. He didn’t have a chance to warn Chanyeol before mysterious sparking smoke slithered out from underneath some cars, roiling like dense fog towards them. Baekhyun stopped, the smoke igniting in a show of grand explosions.

People screamed as the discharges blew them up, bloodied body parts being flung against the ebbing blue field around him. Baekhyun belatedly realized Chanyeol had saved them, too focused on the gore splashing the shield and the agony echoing in his ears. All the attacks against him had been isolated events but now...now they were killing  _ innocent people _ to get to him.

More detonations went off, car alarms ringing off all the way down the street. The greenish-white smoke curled against the field as the sparks blasted at the solid magic, Chanyeol gritting his teeth as each round grew stronger. The coven leader couldn’t hold it for much longer, his entire body screaming for a break. But the image of Baekhyun falling to the ground and cowering against the muffled sound of explosions made him push harder, fighting against the hopelessness of it all.

“Chanyeol-“ More bangs went off, a crack appearing in the sheer shield. “Chanyeol I’m  _ scared _ .”

The mercenaries sent after him this time were a whole new level of  _ deadly _ . They were willing to slaughter anyone in the way of their target, cold blooded killers with even more lethal magic. Baekhyun had never truly feared death as much as he did today, the smoke rising above the shield until they were fully submerged in its sparking haze. The human felt his heart drop seconds before the deafening denotation sounded off, so loud Baekhyun could only hear a high pitched ringing as his vision temporarily blacked out.

“Chanyeol-“ More explosions sounded, and Baekhyun felt so hopeless. “Chanyeol- please-“

The coven leader fell to his knees, the field of magic shrinking down with him. They were collapsing beneath the smoke, barely enough room for them to kneel. Baekhyun wanted to cry. He was so terrified, curling away from the muffled bangs of the shield and watching something spill from his pocket in his peripheral. It was his cup of glaze.

The plastic lid cracked, sugary paste oozing out of the styrofoam cup. Baekhyun stared for a moment, a light bulb flickering to life in his head.

Chanyeol weakened further as the bombardment knew no end, arms shaking under the force he exerted. Every hit to his magic felt like a hit to himself, sending out energy to repair the cracks and fissures until that grew to be too much. Sweat poured down into his eyes, stinging along with the splitting aches in his muscles. It was no longer a battle to will, but of when his body gave out on him.

Baekhyun dipped his hands in the cup, conscious of how much he spent as he dragged his delicate hands over the rough concrete. He had no time to register the pain as his skin was split open, hands pressing harder and harder the more fervently he worked. The sugar turned into streaks of pink, the human desperately drawing a rune onto the floor. The shape was burned into the backs of his eyelids as he worked, and he only hoped Chanyeol had enough magic left in him to activate it.

He didn’t know if it was all futile, if Chanyeol would cave in under the pressure or if the glaze wouldn’t take to magic. Sugar had nothing to do with what he was doing, and such complexity needed ceremonial paste. But Baekhyun had nothing. Only the quickly depleting styrofoam cup, and Chanyeol’s sigil advanced powers.

Throwing the cup down, he connected the last curve of the outer circle. The lifeless styrofoam rolled away as Baekhyun crawled carefully around the lines as to not smear them, placing his faintly stinging hands on Chanyeol’s bicep. It was rock hard from tension, the veins in his neck popping out under the skin. But Baekhyun didn’t care, he didn’t have enough room beside the small sliver of hope he was nurturing and the panic that tried to consume it.

“Chanyeol.” Baekhyun spoke hurriedly, attempting to tug one arm back. “I need you to activate this.”

The witch was leaning back as his magic began to condense inwards, pressing closer to his shaking hands. His fingertips were turning a navy blue, the dark color slowly creeping down towards the rest of his hand. It looked like magical frostbite, the light of his sigil flickering dimly as he heaved in pained breath. He wasn’t even paying attention to Baekhyun, too focused on channeling everything he had into their shield.

“Chanyeol.” Baekhyun said more firmly, yanking back his arm and watching as the magic flickered. Small flecks of ash fell in, fumes slithering into their tiny bubble before Chanyeol stabilized it again. If you could call what they had stable.

“Baekhyun.” He snapped, magic less than an inch away from his hand. “Stop distracting me. You’re going to get us  _ killed _ .”

But Baekhyun didn’t let up, squeezing his arm and tugging more harshly. More ash filtered in as the shield trembled, vibrating as it fell onto its last strings. Chanyeol had tears in his eyes, and the human didn’t think he’d ever seen the coven leader cry.

“Please, I just need you to reach back and activate this rune-“

“I  _ can’t _ .” Chanyeol sounded like he was pleading, hopelessly grasping at his depleting magic as fatigue rattled his weak body. “If I take my concentration off of this for even a  _ second _ we’ll be dead.”

Even talking to Baekhyun was costing him precious energy, the witch leaning back onto the human when the cracking shield pressed impossibly closer. The rune was small enough for them to fall through, but if the magic drew in anymore it’d be lost. Baekhyun placed his bloodied and sugar coated hands on the witch’s corded neck, leaning it back to lean more comfortably into him.

“Look at me.” Chanyeol would not, stubbornly staring ahead at the magic bubble around them. “ _ Chanyeol. _ “

The witch bounced his eyes away, but quickly looked back when the shield flickered like a faulty switch. Another deafening blow rang their ears, but Baekhyun cradled his hands under Chanyeol’s chin and  _ made _ the coven leader look him in the eyes.

Chanyeol watched the faulty shield flicker behind Baekhyun’s head, the human an eerie picture of calm. His hands were rough with sentiment embedded in his palms, steady as they held onto him. “You can’t keep this up forever. I need you to activate the rune  _ now _ .”

The explosions now didn’t have intervals of rest, the mist relentless in its attacks. Chanyeol closed his eyes as he whimpered in pain, hands screwed so tight in tension they were nearly black with effort. He couldn’t feel them, only the blinding pain as he drained himself. “I  _ can’t _ .”

“No.” Baekhyun said, his upside down face drawing nearer to Chanyeol’s sweaty and pained one. “I believe in you. I know you can save us, you just need to  _ activate the rune _ .”

Chanyeol felt tears squeeze out of his waning eyes, his vision blacking out near the edges. Everything burned, everything ached, everything started to  _ blur _ . Baekhyun was the only thing grounding him, his scraped up hand coming to grab one of his arms and begin to draw it away from the curved walls. Any witch would have been dead by now, hell, any  _ coven leader _ would’ve been decimated by now. Chanyeol truly didn’t know how he was doing it, leaning into the warmth of his human as his numbed hand touched the ground.

_ I believe in you _ .

Chanyeol couldn’t tell if the words had been spoken or if he was hearing things, squeezing his eyes shut and gritting his teeth as pain split up his arm as if it were being ripped apart from the inside out. He couldn’t feel what he was trying to activate, but Baekhyun was pressing his forehead to his and a sudden surge of energy gripped his charred fingertips. Color exploded his eyes, a vortex of wind whipping his exhausted body.

“Let go.”

And Chanyeol did.

Baekhyun clutched the witch’s body by the waist, leaning back into the vortex tugging at his body. The coven leader collapsed against him, the two tumbling into a world of swirling color and a billion bright stars. The shield had flickered out, finally dying like a blown light bulb. But by the time the sparking smoke reached inside, the pair were gone.

————————————

Baekhyun hurt, his hands burning as if they’d been dipped in pure alcohol.

Jongin had created a potion the day of the mall incident, a salve that he said should be safe for humans and accelerate his healing. Baekhyun would never forget his face when the human had stumbled down into the lobby with bloodied hands and the scent of smoke hanging into his clothes, when he fell to the witch’s shiny shoes and began to cry. He had only been able to say one word, choking on his own tears as pain wretched his heart.

“C-Chanyeol-“

He had never seen the Scraper be flung into such a meltdown, even the day when he’d first arrived was nothing in comparison to the hell that afflicted his home. A whole  _ platoon  _ of witches were deployed into the streets to seek out who had hurt their leader, enraged by the blatant act of war. Witch mercenaries weren’t supposed to attack coven leaders, it was against their code. Not even assassins would dare touch such a figure. Chanyeol had never been personally attacked, not with the intent to kill him. But as soon as they saw Baekhyun, it was game over.

Now, it was several days later. The night before the first day of the new trial.

Jongin was taking off the wraps that had hindered his hands since the incident, poking at the newly pink skin. Baekhyun remembered how Sehun had to restrain him as Jongin removed every individual piece of sentiment from his hand, an experience he’d rather forget. But as he waited, patiently still, the brazen witch seemed to give him an impressed nod of approval.

“You healed a lot faster than I would have thought possible for a human. But you’re different from other humans, so I should have known better.”

Baekhyun said nothing as he looked down at his freshly healed hands, flexing his fingers in the newfound freedom. The witch smiled sadly at him, but let him have his moment. It didn’t take more than a  _ second _ until Baekhyun bore his intense eyes into Jongin’s, his voice even as he asked the question that has burned his throat since the incident.

“Can I see him?”

“You know that isn’t my call.” What Jongin didn’t say was that he knew he could no longer stop Baekhyun from running upstairs to where the coven leader was resting. It wasn’t his call because it was  _ Baekhyun’s _ . Was he ready to see Chanyeol? Would he be able to handle what he was met with?

Jongin got up and excused himself, exiting the humans bedroom and leaving the latter alone in thought.

Baekhyun couldn’t bear it anymore.

Pushing off his plush mattress, Baekhyun tugged on the biggest hoodie he could find. It dwarfed him, sweeping halfway down his thigh and covering his shorts. Exiting his darkly shrouded room, the human soundlessly padded into the vacant living room. All the covens witches were gone, the sun having just dipped beneath the horizon. Jongin was the last one, but he had just left. Now it was only Baekhyun and the recovering leader in this big ol’ penthouse, all on their lonesome.

Stairs were still a struggle to his aching muscles, a dull burn shooting through his legs as he pushed himself up the stone steps. It was muscle memory that led him to Chanyeol’s silent bedroom door, heart hurting with how hard it beat. There was a slight tremor in his hands as he reached for the knob, turning the cold metal and waddling into the dark room.

The body in the bed slumbered deeply, his head turned away but barren arms folded over the duvet. Baekhyun silently tiptoed over to the edge and swiftly climbed onto the higher bed frame, mattress dipping under his weight. Chanyeol didn’t stir, features lost to the shadows as the room was draped in pitch black. Baekhyun reached for one of the witch's warm hands, delicately touching the flesh colored skin.

Jongin hadn’t told him what had happened to Chanyeol, said  _ ‘it wasn’t his story to tell’ _ whatever that means. It left the human vaguely frustrated, but Baekhyun really only cared if the witch got better. Everything could come much later. But it left him with food for thought, especially when Sehun had come to check on him. The witch had asked him what happened at the mall, but when Baekhyun got to the part about the bubble and rune Sehun had stopped him.

“You made a rune out of  _ what _ .” Baekhyun had to give credit to Sehun, the man hadn’t insulted him once and the human was suspicious of being treated so  _ humanely _ . But the dubious question left him hesitant. Was this where things went south?

“Uh, some type of edible glaze for cinnamon bites.”

“How the  _ fuck _ did that work?” Baekhyun had shrugged, he didn’t want to question how his life was saved. All that mattered was that the two of them had survived, Baekhyun nearly at the end of his journey with Chanyeol slumbering away upstairs.

“I figured it was better than nothing.”

Sehun huffed in disbelief, as if the whole being chased by mercenaries was normal, but sugar runes was just  _ bizarre _ . It was worse when Baekhyun got to the point about activating the rune, Sehun gaping at him as if he’d sprouted two heads.

“You want my honest opinion?” Baekhyun was scared of that, but nodded nonetheless. “In the span of time I’ve known you, that is the  _ second _ time you should’ve been dead.”

Baekhyun was as bemused as Sehun, and just as helpless to answer. It made the human think, ponder all the unexplained things in his life. Funnily enough, they all started the second he walked through those wards that no human had any business being within twenty feet of. He should have been repelled away by the time he stepped within a dozen yards of those things. The magic was designed to  _ ward _ away unwanted creatures, it was in the  _ name! _

Baekhyun shifted closer to the witch, leaning his head down to hear the comforting and steady heartbeat that thumbed strongly in the witch’s chest. It was a reassuring sound, relaxed his muscles and soothed his mind. The human closed his eyes for a moment, basking in the comforting warmth. When he turned his head and opened his drooping eyes, two bleary blue orbs stared back.

“Hey Baekhyun.” Chanyeol’s voice was thickly laced in sleep, gravelly and deeper than usual. The human smiled softly in response, resting his hands on the witch’s steadily rising chest.

“Hey Chanyeol.” He whispered softly, scared to break the tender atmosphere between them. His heart soared at the earnest smile, straightening back up to hover over the witch. Yet his hands remained their slight resting on Chanyeol, picking absently at the thick covers.

“Can you help me sit up?” Baekhyun huffed out a quiet laugh, tucking his feet beneath himself as he shook his head softly.

“Aren’t you supposed to be resting?”

Chanyeol scoffed. “I’ll rest when I’m dead. Plus, you can’t  _ really _ expect me to rest when you’re right there in front of me.”

Baekhyun didn’t know the implications of that statement, suspicious of the cryptic swirls of the witch’s blue eyes. He ignored the fluttering in his gut and relented, making a grand show of rolling his eyes before wrapping his arms around the coven leader's naked torso. Chanyeol’s muscles tightened around him as he helped him sit up, his heated skin burning wherever it touched the helpless human.

Baekhyun tried to pull away, but Chanyeol kept his arms in place. Tugging him closer, Baekhyun had to reposition himself and ended up straddling the witch in order to sit comfortably in his new muscled confines. The cuddly coven leader smirked triumphantly, arms sliding to rest dangerously low on his back. It placed Baekhyun at the height advantage for once, looking down slightly at the males impish eyes. The human was glad for the cover of darkness, hiding the blood rushing to his face as he tried to relax himself.

Chanyeol nuzzled the side of his pink face, so damn smug as he did so. “How are you this fine evening?”

Baekhyun grumbled, disgruntled as he scrunched his nose. “Much better until you decided to get all  _ touchy _ .”

“Aw, you break my heart Baekhyunnie~”

“I’ll bite your nose.”

Chanyeol leaned back, beaming bright enough that it could have lit the room with its luminosity. “If that’s what you’re into.”

The witch was quick to hug him to his chest, trapping his arms between them so he couldn’t throw any punches. He laughed full-heartedly as Baekhyun squirmed against him, attempting to free his arms for vengeance.

“You’ll pay for this.” Baekhyun harshly whispered, slumping in defeat and fighting off his pout at the witch’s evil cackles. How  _ cliche _ .

Chanyeol pulled back, loosened his hold on him as he sobered up. Baekhyun dimmed at the witch’s suddenly serious expression, a sadden tint to his eyes as he looked at the human as if he were made of glass. The gaze was so fragile and gentle, and Baekhyun melted even with the impending ambience that threatened to dampen his mood.

“I think...” Chanyeol drawled, for dramatic effect or simply because he was carefully choosing his next words. “I owe you some explanations.”

For once, Baekhyun wanted to object. He was content to lie in the witch’s arms and forget all that plagued his mind. To forget the world trying to kill him and the trial threatening to take away his good hearted witch. But a bigger, more  _ selfish _ part of Baekhyun wanted to hear what Chanyeol had to say. To get the answers he deserved, to finally put his full trust in the coven leader.

“When I was born...I was a weak child.” Chanyeol hesitantly explained, eyes darting around the room as he thought over his next words. “My parents didn’t understand, I was born with a sigil. I should’ve been a naturally  _ stronger _ child.”

Chanyeol shrugged, his heavy arms moving along Baekhyun’s sides. “But my magic had a tendency to eat away at me when I pushed myself too hard, when I charged up my magic but didn’t release it.”

Baekhyun suddenly remembered when Chanyeol had gotten all worked up over Sehun and his magic had gone haywire. Baekhyun couldn’t understand why he had left, or why his magic didn’t just  _ dispel _ . Sensing the cogs turning in the humans head, the witch smiled sadly.

“Yeah...if I ever got worked up over something and that transferred to my magic, I’d end up suffering in agony until I exploded.” Baekhyun widened his eyes in horror. The image of a small, ignorant Chanyeol suffering because of his unpredictable magic hurt his weak heart.

“My parents eventually figured out what was happening, taught me control so I wouldn’t be injuring myself.” Suddenly, Chanyeol sighed. “That was until my gift set in.”

Baekhyun remembered the wake of blue flames that had followed them in their escape at the mall, the conflagration seemingly endless as they ran.

“I was a very,  _ very _ late bloomer. My parents didn’t even think I had one, but then I ended up burning down our house during a feverish nightmare.” The witch laughed despite himself. “Memories...”

“I’m sorry.” Baekhyun whispered, unsure of how to respond to the confessions. Chanyeol was such a vulnerable kid, it seemed ludicrous that such a weak kid could have become the strong coven leader he was today.

“There’s nothing to be sorry about.” He reassured, moving one hand to push back some the human's brunette fringe. “It’s just...there are certain  _ limits  _ to my magic. The kind that prevents me from getting to work up, the kind that can tire me out easily,  _ the kind that prevents me from using black magic _ .”

Baekhyun held up a hand, a mantra of waits stumbling past his lips as he held a finger to the coven leader's lips. Chanyeol wasn’t going to say anything, but didn’t object to the gesture. “Are you telling me, you’re on trial for a form of magic you can’t even  _ use _ ?“

Chanyeol smiled bitterly. “Ironic isn’t it?”

Baekhyun scoffed, throwing his hands up and narrowly missing smacking Chanyeol’s head. “Why don’t you just tell the police! You could have avoided  _ all _ of this!”

The witch gently grasped the humans wrists, lowering them and rubbing soothing circles into the back sides of his hands.

“ _ Because _ young padawan-“ Chanyeol booped his nose, but it wasn’t condescending. “If I came clean about that, then the  _ entire _ witching world would know my greatest weakness. That’s all witches care about, they’d end me  _ and _ my coven.”

Baekhyun pouted, that didn’t seem very fair. Huh, now he saw where Chanyeol was coming from.

“See? Difficult situation isn’t it?”

Baekhyun crossed his arms defiantly. “This is bullshit.”

Chanyeol laughed, but his eyes looked pained. “It’s life.”

Chanyeol was innocent, but couldn’t prove it unless he put his life and coven at risk. He was willing to sacrifice himself for the survival of his coven...no wonder they were so loyal. A leader who was able to see the bigger picture and be as selfless as he was being for this trial, Baekhyun was honored to meet such a man.

There were soft caresses ghosting over his cheek, breaking his concentration. The acceptance in the witch’s eyes broke his heart, grabbed the muscle and squeezed it until it felt like it’d burst. Of all the coven leaders in the Witchin District, the only good one was being taken down by association. It was all making sense now, why he had protected Baekhyun in the first place. He wanted to take Kyowon and Eunjae down, and he couldn’t do it without the key witness. If Baekhyun had ended up dying...the other two coven leaders would end up running free. Even if there was a high possibility of him going to prison for life, or even getting the death penalty, Chanyeol was risking it all to rid the city of two of its worst monsters.

“Wow...” Baekhyun inhaled, breath getting caught midway by the growing ball of emotion in his throat. His eyes burned, tears falling but they didn’t make it even halfway down his face before Chanyeol was gently thumbing them away. It was just his luck, finding someone he dared to say he loved, only for them to be taken away by the unfairness of natural law.

The witch pressed his forehead to Baekhyun’s, hushing him as he whispered comforting nothings through the human silent tears. The sigil branded between their skin burned at the contact, like a warm simmer that was working its way up to a boil. It was then that Baekhyun realized something, gulping audibly as he swiped away his tears.

“I have something to tell you too.” Baekhyun drew away to look the witch more fully in his eyes, trying to keep his expression stoic. “But you have to  _ promise _ to stay calm.”

Chanyeol tilted his head confused, ever the giant puppy dog. It made Baekhyun want to tug at his large ears and coo at his squishy face, but within the context of the situation the actions seemed a bit inappropriate.

“You’re freaking me out.”

“Just promise you oaf.”

“Fine fine.” Chanyeol relented, puffing out a sigh. “I  _ promise _ .”

Baekhyun took a deep breath in, maintaining square eye contact with those tranquil pools of cobalt that would soon turn into burning storms of fury. He could feel it as the words slipped from his tongue like a trigger, the ammunition clicking in place. “When you were gone, those first few days to do your work that you refused to tell me about...”

Chanyeol nodded his head, still bemused.

“Well...” Baekhyun bit the bullet and pulled the trigger. “Eunjae visited me.”

Several emotions passed over the coven leaders even face. Confusion, shock, realization, then finally...fury.

“Chanyeol you promised-“

“What the hell was that  _ fucker _ doing in my fucking penthouse!” The witch boomed, trapped beneath Baekhyun’s warm body. “I swear to god I’ll kill him-“

“Chanyeol.” Baekhyun placed cool hands on the raging males face, attempting to placate him through the gentle touch. “I haven’t even told you what happened.”

Chanyeol didn’t even look like he wanted to know, and Baekhyun was hesitant to tell. If the coven leader wasn’t so weak, he’d probably already be up and storming out to find the green, slimy bastard. But Baekhyun didn’t want anymore murder, even if it  _ was _ Eunjae.

“I went into the ritual room.” Baekhyun started, skipping the part where the door opened for him. “And I felt like I was being watched, just like back when I lived in my own apartment.”

Chanyeol sat patiently, a true feat. It showed just how much he was trying for Baekhyun. “But, I stayed. I was trying to write a rune on the wall when...when I started to feel  _ ill _ .”

Baekhyun ran his hands lightly down the witch’s neck, distracting himself as he spoke. “I started to cry. Everything felt so  _ wrong _ ...that’s when I started to hear your voice.”

Chanyeol’s brow ticked. “It was as if...as if you were  _ really _ there. But you had left me for so long, and I knew something wasn’t right. It was like this visceral voice had told me  _ Eunjae _ , and I just knew it was him.”

Baekhyun breathed deeply in preparation. “He trapped me in place with his body. Wrapped his arm around my waist and pressed himself to my back, his bony chin digging into my shoulder as he-“ Baekhyun nearly gagged as he spat the words out. “As he  _ stroked my neck _ .”

Possessive hands gripped harder at the curve of his waist, cobalt eyes flashing as the circle and crescent sigil churned blue. The hands should’ve hurt, but oddly enough, Baekhyun found comfort in the tight hold. The human stared pointedly at the coven leader's clavicle, drawing nonsensical shapes into the bare skin between the bone and his neck as he continued.

“He basically felt up my neck and grabbed at my jaw when he began talking about the Traeger. That’s how I knew they fed on souls.” Baekhyun meekly explained. “But he was mad at me, really angry when he asked me how I survived the demon.”

The human shied away at the overwhelmingly dominant aura that seeped from Chanyeol, his vexation radiating into the air between them. His eyes were so  _ bright _ , iron vise grip molding Baekhyun’s waist to fit his hands. It made his heart waver in its drum-like beat, blooding rushing to his ears and coloring them pink. He knew the witch wasn’t mad at him, the ambiance he carried was just so purely  _ possessive _ . The thought of another person touching his human sparking a feral fire in his chest that threatened to consume him whole.

Baekhyun took one look at the witch’s darkening eyes and blurted out without a thought. “And he called me pretty.”

“He did  _ what? _ “ The sigil burned bright as Chanyeol’s eyes darkened, the hands on his waist pulling him closer until the witch’s naked chest was pressed to his own. The humans heart rate spiked, breath faltering as Chanyeol came within an inch of his face.

“Are you going to answer me?”

Baekhyun felt like a puddy in his hands, malleable and soft to the witch’s burning touch. He couldn’t find his voice, so lost in the dominance suffocating him that he forgot how to breath. It was agonizing  _ torture _ to be this close to such an enticing specimen and yet be too frozen to go that last  _ inch _ , falling nearly completely complacent as his body burned up like a heat flash.

Excitement bubbled below the surface,  _ want _ simmering beneath his tingling skin. His body buzzing in anticipation as their noses touched, sharing scorching breath in a painful tease. Baekhyun just barely stopped a whine from escaping his throat, Adam’s apple bobbing as he swallowed thickly. The human closed his eyes when the hands at his waist began to move down in distracting trails, sneaking under his long hoodie and hiking it up.

As soon as the witch’s large hands sprawled across his naked and sensitive skin, Baekhyun bowed his spine and pressed himself heavily into Chanyeol. He knocked their heads together, a sigh of lewd content gracing Chanyeol’s slightly parted lips. The witch tensed, and just like a bow string pulled too taut, he snapped.

Baekhyun still had his eyes closed in bliss when Chanyeol surged forward, aggressively clashing their lips together. Baekhyun moaned at the contact, quick to wrap his arms around the witch’s neck and pull him closer. The coven leader dragged his hands up in greedy strokes, wanting to touch and feel every inch of the beautiful human in his lap. The kiss was bruising, both trying to pull each other as close as possible while pushing their lips fervently in a kiss that spelled hunger.

Baekhyun shuddered at the heat spreading up and down his back with each intense pass of the witch’s possessive hands, feeling his eyes roll back when blunt nails scraped down his sensitive back. He keened under the attention, pulling away and throwing his head back to catch his breath. Chanyeol took it as an obscene attack on his weak will, eyes sliding over the divots and concave of the humans long, curved neck. The human shuddered visibly when Chanyeol began to nuzzle his nose into his neck, melting under his touch when he felt the first electrifying kiss to his skin.

He whimpered when the witch began to lick at the untouched area, latching onto the unblemished flesh and nipping lightly. Baekhyun buried his hands in the coven leader's vibrant cobalt hair, twisting his thin fingers in the strands to ground himself as Chanyeol made his neck his playground. He could  _ feel _ the smirk against his skin, Chanyeol scratching faintly at his rib cage and making the human jolt.

The witch hummed, the vibrations sent straight into the humans arched throat. Baekhyun felt as the coven leader beneath him began to shift, sliding him off of his lap and pushing his shoulders down. Baekhyun happily fell back, bouncing in small bursts as Chanyeol shimmed out from beneath his sheets. He reached beneath the brunette’s hoodie and tugged at the offending fabric, Baekhyun slinking out of the thick sweatshirt and watched as Chanyeol sent it  _ flying _ .

He giggled, the witch turning back to him and leaning on his haunches. The human had nothing on but boxers and a thin sleep shirt, growing red under the prolonged gaze of the carnal coven leader. “Stop staring.”

The witch was proudly watching in all his shirtless glory, toned and bulging muscles highlighted under the harsh glow of his sigil. Baekhyun wanted to see how hard those muscles were under his cool fingers, feel them for himself.

“I can’t help myself.” Chanyeol smirked, leaning down to cage Baekhyun between his arms. The latter didn’t mind one bit, deft fingertips gracing the tensed muscle all the way up his arm. He swore the witch even flexed for him, Baekhyun lightly smacking his arm in retaliation.

“You’re just so beautiful.” Baekhyun blushed furiously, pursing his swollen lips and scrunching his nose in embarrassment. Chanyeol leaned down and kissed that same nose, whispering an endearing  _ cute _ at the expression.

Baekhyun hiked his leg up, swinging it around the witch’s side to press his heel into his back. Chanyeol let himself be pushed down, grinning widely as he dropped to his elbows. His much larger body pinned Baekhyun in place, delicious pressure digging him deeper into the mattress. He could feel every hard crevice and curved line of the man's body, and it fanned the flames of desire that burned deep within the pits of Baekhyun’s soul.

This time, it was Baekhyun who initiated the kiss. It started off a slow movement of their synchronized lips, the human gifted his much needed time feeling up the witch’s chiseled body. But then, Chanyeol began to prod at his lips with his tongue. Hot muscle poking at the seams of his lips, Baekhyun submitted before the fight could even begin. The witch had never dove in so fast to ravage a lover’s mouth, licking into the stifling heat with reckless abandon.

The body beneath him was pliable, easily shifting with his movements and reacting loudly with every flick and drag of his tongue. When Chanyeol pulled back, Baekhyun took the opportunity to instantly latch his hands onto his heaving, naked chest. Fire spread wherever he touched, feverish graces of his fingers coiling tension deep within his muscle. Chanyeol felt so high strung, nerve endings so  _ sensitive  _ and in tune with even the most fleeting touches.

Baekhyun sighed when the witch returned to abuse his neck, so complacent under his sensual kisses and hot tongue. He hadn’t felt this loose or relaxed in  _ ages _ , drinking in every jolt that rocked his body like electricity. Weaving his dainty hands back into that vibrant hair, Baekhyun carded them absently as he basked in the witch’s aftertaste.

Chanyeol drew back, admiring his smattering of hickeys along the humans prominent collarbones. There was a slight sheen of sweat that coated the brunette's face and spit shining brightly on his neck, Chanyeol’s heart aching at the pure  _ beauty _ beneath him. His lips were puffed and red, chest heaving from exertion that  _ he _ caused. He wanted to remember this scene forever, growling possessively as he pressed a forceful kiss to Baekhyun’s ruddy lips.

The human had the audacity to  _ giggle _ , lazily slinging his arms around his neck and humming into the salty skin. “Shouldn’t you be resting mister?”

Chanyeol smirked against the top of his head, ruffling the hair affectionately. “How could I when you were  _ right _ there in front of me? I swear you were trying to kill me with those teasing looks of yours.”

Baekhyun chuckled evilly, separating himself from under Chanyeol to flop over by the covers. He curled into a little ball and patted the space beside him, enticing smile drawing Chanyeol to flop down beside him. Like his own little leech, the human attached himself to the witch’s chest. Snuggling into his pec, the brunette made himself comfortable in a duality that gave the coven leader whiplash.

“Rest big boy.” Baekhyun sleepily pat his sternum, dopey smile infectious. “We have a big day tomorrow.”

Indeed they did.


	10. Chapter 10

It was different on the other side.

Spittle flew and splat onto their tinted windows, psychotic protesters pressing their snarling faces against the glass as they shouted to a messy tempo. Baekhyun didn’t like it, didn’t understand their burning hatred towards the witch kind. They were banging signs against the Phantom, dull thuds out of time with their rotten chants, screaming at them to  _ come out and show their faces _ . The human was sure they didn’t know he was in there, much less who  _ he _ is. It was going to be like navigating a cesspool of shit that can fight back.

Sure, he understood the prejudice against witches to a  _ degree _ . But even to him this seemed like overkill. This was a hate protest, twangy dissenters wanting time to lock up anyone who wasn’t human. They had probably jumped at the chance to protest outside the courthouse, proudly banging their chests as the media filmed and they proclaimed their beliefs. It wasn’t very peaceful.

“Here’s fine Yuta.” The reptilian stopped the car and a swarm of sweaty humans were on them like white on rice, leaving no exit unguarded. The rest of the coven had arrived before them, Sehun sending back word of the shitfest that festered on the wide staircase. Chanyeol didn’t seem affected, but Baekhyun was disgusted. He was  _ embarrassed _ to call himself human when this was what his kind got up to in their free time.

Chanyeol unbuckled, having to do the same to the human when Baekhyun was distractedly staring out the windows at the swarm of protesters. “Are you ready?”

Baekhyun bit back the  _ no _ burning his tongue, gently gracing his hands over his newly styled hair to stall. Chanyeol had done it that morning, insisting he had to have presentable hair alongside his new suit. It was the Timberwolf fabric, a light contrast to the coven leaders deep azure suit. He mused if when he stepped out of this car, the protesters would see him as a witch. Did he look like one? Standing alongside Chanyeol, did he look  _ more _ than just a witch?

“Yeah.” He breathed, inching his hand into the free space between their seats. He intertwined their hands and gave what he hoped was a reassuring squeeze, smiling with closed lips.

“You could have me fooled.” Chanyeol jibed, teasing smile tugging at his lips as Baekhyun dug his nails into his hand.

“Just get out of the car lovebirds.” Baekhyun sent a harmless glare to the reptilian, the driver sucking on what looked to be a rat tail without the rat attached. The human shouldn’t be so used to this.

Chanyeol tugged him over to his side, giving a reaffirming nod to Yuta. The car locks clicked, the little switches across the Phantom shooting out at attention. Placing a palm on the door, little spiderwebs of blue shot across the leather and pushed the door away from the witch’s hand. The chaos  _ exploded _ as the two got out hand in hand, flashes of cameras and a million screaming people hurting Baekhyun’s unprepared ears. A circle of cobalt expanded on the ground where the duo walked, thin line of color marking an invisible wall that prevented protestors from jumping Chanyeol.

Reporters tried to jab their microphones towards them, but ending up smashing and breaking the equipment on the transparent magic. Protestors swung their signs and the cheap stakes holding up the poster board snapped, a perfect little bubble of protection parting the sea of people as they began to ascent up the stairs. Baekhyun flinched when his fellow humans began to bang against the walls, spit blurring their faces where it was suspended in air. They shouted hateful slurs and death threats as Chanyeol guided them, appearing completely unaffected.

_ Rapist, murderer, monster, freaks _ -

The insults were endless.

Finally, they reached the top. Courthouse security allowed them past their checkpoint, pushing back any protesters or media that tried to follow. Chanyeol pulled Baekhyun a little closer as they walked on the very platform Baekhyun was almost  _ killed _ on, the humongous courthouse doors parting for them without a single touch.

When the doors closed behind them, it was as if the entire world had been shut out. The vaulted corridors only echoed silence, the screaming and yelling ceasing like they never existed. Baekhyun let out a long sigh, they weren’t even in the courtroom yet and he was exhausted. A heavy arm draped over his shoulder, drawing the brunette closer to the soothing body beside him.

“Tired?” Baekhyun hummed, leaning into the coven leader as they began to stroll towards the courtroom. He wanted this to be over as soon as possible, but the human wasn’t sure his heart was ready to handle the result of the trial.

“Hey, c'mon, look at least a  _ little _ happy.” Chanyeol poked his cheek, earning an annoyed groan in response. “You get to see all your friends again!”

_ At what cost? _ Baekhyun truly took for granted the time he spent with Chanyeol, not thrilled at the latter’s fast paced strides. He just wanted  _ one more day _ , just  _ one _ . The human didn’t want to testify again, he didn’t want to walk into that courtroom and be subject to sit through testimony after testimony. He didn’t  _ want _ to see Eunjae again, feel his dark and smarmy eyes all over him for the next few days.

All too soon they were standing outside the painstakingly carved courtroom doors, stained and glossy wood mocking Baekhyun with its shine. The human stopped short of the doors, tugging Chanyeol into its alcove to be hidden from the rest of the hallway. He leaned against the wall and rested his hands on the lapels of the witch’s suit jacket, rubbing the smooth fabric between his fingers as the coven leader stepped closer.

“What’s on your mind?” Baekhyun shrugged, mind a muddled and tangled mess. He was so full of regret yet couldn’t pin point why, his heart heavy where it hung in his chest. There was just so much going on he still hadn’t processed what happened within the last  _ week _ , his brain straggling behind the times as more shit was piled on top of it.

“Dunno.” He mumbled, knocking his head back and looking up, gaze convoluted. “I just don’t want to do this.”

Chanyeol smiled, the usual genuine beam having dimmed. He pumped their heads gently together, leaning down and wishing he could card his hands through the human's hair. “It’s going to be fine.  _ We’re _ going to be fine.”

The coven leader pressed a chaste kiss to his, lingering a few seconds too long. When he pulled back, Baekhyun wished he could say he felt better. There was no more waiting, no more running or hiding. The human had to face the facts, run into the heat of the fire and hope not to get burned. Chanyeol opened the doors then, sending one last tender glance to him before those blue eyes iced over.

Baekhyun hated this part.

He counted to twenty, drawling out the syllables in his head before begrudgingly pushing himself off the wall. The right side of the room didn’t turn to stare at him discreet entrance, not until a loud screech pierced the room. Baekhyun barely closed the door when a body was flung onto his own, shiny tufts of raven hair to match the loud human that hugged him like there was no tomorrow.

“Baekhyun!” Jongdae was practically  _ screaming _ , every eye on the courtroom turning to them. “I missed you!”

“Jongdae-“ He struggled to get out as his ribs were being squeezed. “I can’t breath-“

Cold hands began to detach the embracing man from Baekhyun, Minseok’s warm eyes peeping over Jongdae. His was steady and calm as he collected his man, sending an apologetic smile to the brunette. The human waved it off, happy to be so warmly welcomed back. The trio then walked over to the whole gang. Seungyeon and Luhan has their whole squad on the bench behind theirs, Junmyeon talking to a humanoid Kyungsoo over the railing, and Yixing was waving around some incense for whatever reason. What a group they looked compared to the disciplined, monochromatic covens beside them.

Chanyeol had been making his way around the railing when Baekhyun had entered, cringing at the shriek of his very animated friend that all but threw themselves on him. He feigned annoyance, turning back to the defense desk where his three least favorite people were already situated. The coven leader joined the other two, composed as he straightened out his already smooth jacket.

“ _ Park Chanyeol _ .” Eunjae purred, standing up from where he’d been sitting on the edge of the table. “How  _ great _ it is to see you again.”

“Late.” Yerim mumbled. “Late late  _ late _ .”

Kyowon flicked his finger and sent a paper toppling to the floor, looking off into the distance when the pixie snapped her head towards him. If looks could kill, Kyowon would’ve been dead ages ago.

“I’m so  _ relieved _ to see you alive and kicking.” Eunjae drawled, every graceful gesture made with purposeful intent. His snake-like face cracked a grin, teeth sharper and eyes darker as he searched Chanyeol’s unimpressed expression. “We heard about what happened.”

“Hard not to.” Kyowon piped up, dirty boots settled comfortably on the desk. They were dangerously close to Yerim as she worked, lime sliced eyes burning as she tried to ignore the coven leader. “Your coven is fucking  _ loud _ .”

“Pleasure to see you too Kyowon.” Chanyeol jeered, rolling his eyes as he went to take his spot furthest away from the group.

“I can’t believe someone would stoop as low as to try and kill you with  _ mercenaries _ .” Eunjae continued, Chanyeol suspicious of his sudden talkative attitude. “The  _ gall _ of some of these newer witches.” He simply tsked.

“I wouldn’t worry about it.” Chanyeol dismissed, clasping his hands in front of his abdomen as he patiently waited for the shit show to start. “Whoever they are, I’ll find them...and I’ll make sure they  _ all _ pay the price.”

Eunjae seemed far too pleased with the declaration, Chanyeol wanting to throttle his thin neck until he could rip off his conniving head. He was talking about  _ him _ , the same bastard who touched his Baekhyun. The same one who was going to  _ pay _ for all the evil he has done in this world.

Baekhyun finished hugging Luhan, stepping back and bowing his head after his squadrons introduction. Funnily, after spending two months amongst witches, Kibum seemed like a little kitten who wanted to be as intimidating as the rest of the cats. Even as a ghoul, Baekhyun kept drawing parallels between him and Sehun when the witch had tried to kill him. The latter  _ easily _ winning the mental battle, Sehun could  _ crush _ Kibum in all his violet glory.

“But are you alright?” The elf asked, dark hair brushing over his concerned sapphire eyes. “Seungyeon and I had tried to reach you when the news about the mall hit, but security was a little... _ tight _ .”

The entire Scraper had been under lock down for  _ days _ , no one was allowed in or out unless you were one of the underlings sweeping the streets for the mercenaries responsible. Baekhyun smiled sheepishly, he could imagine how difficult that must’ve been for the detectives.

“Yeah...I’m fine.” Baekhyun said slowly, eyes instinctively flickering over to the man who suffered worse from the attack. “Everyone’s...fine.”

The elf smiled, nodding his head as he backed away to go rejoin his team. Junmyeon quickly filled the space, wrapping his arms around Baekhyun and squeezing. The two didn’t need to say anything, they already  _ knew _ . The fey backed away and pat his shoulder affectionately, the human scoffing at the stiffness of it.

“People are going to think you’re my dad if you keep doing that.” Baekhyun huffed, causing Junmyeon to throw his head back in carefree laughter. The latter drew him in for another hug, and the human could feel his heart melt at the tender way the fey held him.

“I missed you. I’m glad you’re alright.”

“Likewise.”

Everyone began to stand as none other than Judge Choi entered the room, sweeping robes draped across his tall stature with a face chiseled from stone. He climbed up into his podium, disinterested eyes scanning the crowd.

He sighed. “Let’s get this over with.”

————————————

The first day of the new trial was nearly the exact same as the mistrial. They went over the same information, picked out jurors (more carefully this time), and did opening statements. It was all shit he’d heard before. They had forensic evidence gathered from overdosed magix users, testimonies from expert witnesses over the study of black magic, and more than enough proof of suspicious activity garnered from Eunjae and Kyowon. Chanyeol has remained untouched since the start of the day, leaning back and attempting to stave away the boredom by counting the cracks in the ceiling.

He heard from Yerim during a brief recess that they had a new witness, and a different line up for evidence. “It’s that human detective, the SSNAD agent. What the hell does she have to do with first hand witness testimony?”

Chanyeol had no idea, but he wasn’t as worried. The witch has always been so  _ meticulous _ and  _ careful _ when caring out his coven business, and this was the exact reason why. So far they had nothing on him besides some circumstantial video footage from street cameras. In all honesty, Chanyeol didn’t know  _ how _ the police got him involved. Perhaps they hoped to have gathered enough information between then and the trial to convict him along with the others, but it didn’t look too bright now.

“Chanyeol?” The aforementioned hummed as the pixie set her papers down to look at him. “May I ask you a question?”

“You  _ may _ .”

“ _ So civilized _ .” Kyowon sneered from behind Yerim before she could speak the words, the occult jabbing her heel blindly back until she heard a curse.

“You’ve been with that human witness have you not?” Chanyeol looked away from his far more interesting nails to give her a flat look. “If you mean  _ in the same building as me _ , then yes.”

“Semantics.” She waved dismissively, conniving little smile curling on her peachy lips as she batted her lashes. The pixie walked up to him, so much  _ tinier _ than him as she clapped her hands sweetly. “Can’t you tell us  _ anything? _ Surely  _ someone _ in your coven might be able to spill some tea?”

The witch stamped down the snarl in his throat, controlling his facial expressions proving so hard when he was surrounded by such fear creatures. The coven leader pushed past her nonchalantly, pacing to the other side of the room as if her presence had driven him away. “I wouldn’t know, the police made me protect that human. It’s not like I went out of my way to earn his trust and manipulate details out of him.”

The pixies face dropped. “You’re a shit witch.”

“Still doing more than you.” Chanyeol replied offhandedly, wondering what he and Baekhyun were going to eat for dinner that night.

“Well...” Eunjae’s slippery voice interrupted. “ _ Surely _ you would at least know how he got through the wards?”

Chanyeol still didn’t know. He knew the human didn’t either, and he didn’t want to dive into all the unanswered questions Baekhyun’s mere existence brought up. There were many things he did that he should’ve been able to do; from blooming flowers, to surviving a Traeger, to getting them out of the mall, to something as seemingly simple as bypassing wards. None of it made any sense, especially when Chanyeol thought of how his stagnant sigil was set ablaze by the human's touch. Sigils didn’t react in such ways, only with internal magic that triggers emotions.

“I’m sorry.” Chanyeol said slowly, presenting his audience with a vapid and close lipped smile. “I wish I knew.”

At least he didn’t lie about that part.

————————————

“What  _ exactly _ are the charges against you?”

Chanyeol shrugged off his unbuttoned shirt as Baekhyun watched from the bed, playing with the drawstrings of his hoodie. The human understood the  _ severity _ but not quite the specifics, he’d been scraping by the skin of his teeth. He didn’t care about the trial, only when he could go home.

“Well.” The witch stretched his arms up to the ceiling, wiggling his fingers with a scrunched face. After stretching to his satisfaction, he dropped his arms and made his way over to Baekhyun. “The big deal is the use of magic  _ against _ others, basically using what we were given at birth as weapons to further their agenda.”

He placed his knees on the bed and tugged at his waistband in thought, leaning back on his calves. “Essentially there’s the standard ‘illegal use of magic’, the ‘use of black magic’, ‘human magix enablement’, ‘using magic with the intent of obtaining compensation’, ‘creation of unwarranted vortexes with illegal intent’, a few counts of human sacrifices for Kyowon, some more human involvement violations, and a whole slew of minor felonies.”

Baekhyun blinked.

“Oh, and mass murder.”

Chanyeol smiled triumphantly after successfully listing off every offense against him on his fingers, nearly running out of room. Baekhyun couldn’t process even  _ half _ of what those charges meant, lost after the fourth or fifth one.

“And the punishments?” Baekhyun asked slowly.

Chanyeol didn’t seem as proud to list them off. “If we’re lucky, a few life sentences. If we’re not, then the death penalty with the exoneration of our sigils.”

“Exoneration...?”

The coven leader's face grew dark, an unidentified emotion flashing across his face. “They’ll take away our sigil’s. But not only that,  _ they _ will be the ones to choose the next leader of the coven.”

Baekhyun suddenly sat up, surging forward onto his knees. “ _ They can take your sigil’s away?! _ “

Chanyeol nodded solemnly, fists curling in exasperation. “It kills us in the process. Some asshole elf figured it out back in the early twentieth century, before the lot of them went running to the poles.”

No wonder Chanyeol had said that was the  _ unfortunate _ option. Baekhyun couldn’t envision any proud coven leader being happy about the government stealing their hard earned sigil only to give it away to someone they couldn’t choose. They’d be dying and leaving the fate of all their work to the same people who killed them. It seemed terribly unfair even to Baekhyun, but he assumed that if a witch did something bad enough to get them the death penalty, then maybe it was reasonable to leave their mess of coven in the hands of people who wanted to set them on a better path.

But living with witches has taught Baekhyun that no magic wielding occult would  _ dare _ submit to  _ anyone _ , even in the moments before death. Having some outsider become the leader of a coven whose predecessor was wrongfully murdered in their eyes would almost  _ always _ lead the coven to a coup, and then the poor sap put in charge died for no reason.

“I’m sorry about that.” Baekhyun whispered, inching over to the edge of the bed to wrap his arms around the witch’s neck. The latter quickly responded with his own arms around the humans waist, leaning down to nudge his nose along his jawline.

“‘S not your fault, don’t apologize.”

“I just-“ Baekhyun let out a harsh exhale through his nose, roughly dragging his fingers up the side of Chanyeol’s head. He took out his frustrations on the witch’s hair, tousling and ruffling his stiff hair until the residual gel made his hands sticky.

The coven leader simply laughed, angling back Baekhyun’s head for a deepened kiss. He was just happy to be able to spend time with the human, Baekhyun having this special talent to just make him  _ forget _ . Forget all his fears and worries about his uncertain future, forget the stress that plagued his mind like an annoying fly that wouldn’t leave him be. Just  _ forget _ . It made the witch feel  _ alive _ , burned a simmering fire in his bones that warmed him to the core.

Chanyeol sometimes couldn’t believe that Baekhyun  _ wasn’t _ magic, that he was  _ real _ .

Of all the people in the world, no one was as lucky as the coven leader. He didn’t deserve such a perfect partner. Witty, clever, and of course,  _ beautiful _ . He was so smart and resourceful, brave and curious to a fault. The human was stubborn, but loyal to anyone who gained his trust. He believed in Chanyeol, and that  _ alone _ boosted the witch to a level of euphoria he never thought possible to reach. Never had he felt lonely in Baekhyun’s presence, but an agonizing longing when they were apart.

“You’re too good for this world.” Chanyeol mumbled against their pressed lips, holding Baekhyun impossibly closer. He craved the contact, like a druggie crawling towards his next fix.

The human smirked, looking up at him through hooded eyes. He was just so  _ beautiful _ it sometimes hurt to look at. “Funny, I was going to say the same about you.”

————————————

The next day, Baekhyun convinced Chanyeol to get to the courthouse earlier than usual. The human had to talk to the gargoyle about him and Chanyeol’s...arrangements? Baekhyun just needed to make sure Kyungsoo wouldn’t be calling him to the stand to try and damn the cobalt witch.

Separating from Chanyeol, Baekhyun snuck further down the hall to the prosecution room. He knocked twice, heart suddenly twinging at his growing nerves. He waited for what seemed like forever until a monotonous voice called for him to come in.

“Byun Baekhyun.” Kyungsoo said in lieu of a greeting. “Can I help you with something? You’re never  _ early _ .”

_ Off to a  _ great _ start _ . Baekhyun bowed slightly before diving deeper into the room, finding it hard to not to ogle at the gargoyles imposing stone wings or winding grey horns. Seemed like Taemin hadn’t gotten a hold of him yet. “I was just wondering if we could talk about something?”

“I’m busy.” Kyungsoo cut in quickly, reply clipped and curt. He was flipping through documented evidence and writing eloquently with his rock-strewn talons, his three thick fingers dwarfing the small wooden pencil. Despite the obvious comical material in front of him, Baekhyun remained serious.

“It’s important-“

“I think it can wait until after the trial today.”

“Well  _ I think _ you can put down your damn pencil and listen to me for five fucking minutes. For gods sake- its seven am!” The gargoyle put down his writing utensil and raised his unimpressed gaze to zero in on the frustrated human. Baekhyun would’ve wanted to throw rocks at the occult, but the damn guy was  _ made _ of them!

“What is so important that you’ve bothered me at my quiet hour?” Kyungsoo crossed his rock-solid arms over his chest, still somehow as small as his humanoid form. But his presence exuded much greater, more appropriate for a creature with wings that probably spanned the entirety of the courtroom wall to wall.  _ Long ways _ . Baekhyun just found wings fascinating, sue him.

“You can’t call me to be a witness against Chanyeol.”

At that, Kyungsoo raised a brow. “And  _ why _ can’t I do that?”

Baekhyun reaffirmed himself, standing more firmly in place with a determined glint in his eyes. “Because if you  _ do _ , I won’t answer  _ any _ of your questions.”

The occult snickered. “Then you’ll be held in contempt of court.”

Baekhyun shrugged. “I don’t give a shit. You put me on that stand against him and I’ll  _ gladly _ take those charges. It  _ also _ means you lose your key witness in your case. You wouldn’t want that, would you?”

That drew an annoyed tick from the gargoyle's brow. Kyungsoo, ever the lawyer, began to analyze and size up his new opponent. He wasn’t going to lie, he had been eager to put Baekhyun on the stand to expose the mysterious third witch. This situation...he hadn’t seen it coming. The occult didn’t like surprises, but clearly the  _ entire _ courtroom would be in for one if he did exactly what the human didn’t want him to do.

“What is this about?” Kyungsoo asked, suspicious. “Why are you willing to protect that  _ monster _ .”

Baekhyun took the bait much more eagerly than the gargoyle expected. “He is  _ not _ a monster. He’s innocent of all this shit you’ve piled on him. In fact, the only things he’s guilty of is being associated with people he doesn’t approve of.”

“ _ Really _ now....” The lawyer drawled, large claws resting on his desk as he observed the humans defensive and defiant stance. “Interesting...”

Baekhyun didn’t care what someone like Kyungsoo thought of him and his demands, he didn’t  _ care _ if he thought the human was crazy or even being blackmailed. All he wanted was to ensure the safety of his witch. Baekhyun didn’t know what he’d do if he was the reason Chanyeol went down, like the killing stake to his heart. It’d kill him more than it’d kill the witch.

“Listen.” Baekhyun gestured his hands out placatingly. “Just  _ promise _ me you’ll trust my judgement when I say anything you could force out of me on that stand wouldn’t help you. I’m telling you as honestly as I can, Park Chanyeol is a  _ good man _ .”

The occult stood as still as the sentinel he is, eyes unblinking where they stared into his own. “You love him.”

It wasn’t a question, and it wasn’t a lie.

“Promise me Kyungsoo. We don’t know each other very well...but just  _ trust _ me.”

Chanyeol has done bad things, he’s killed people innocent and not. Baekhyun knew that, he wasn’t ignorant. But he finally  _ understands _ him, not as a man but as a  _ witch _ . As a  _ leader _ . There wasn’t a single thing Baekhyun blamed Chanyeol for, having lived under his roof and seen all the good he’s done. It wasn’t balanced to send him away or kill him for the little bad he’s done, when he’s done so much  _ good _ . What would happen to little Sunni and Jisoo? What about those other occults Baekhyun knew the coven leader saved at  _ no cost _ , not a  _ single one _ human. What would happen to all the people who depended on Chanyeol?

It was like an electrical circuit, except someone had just taken out the connecting piece. It wasn’t going to work anymore, no matter how many different objects they used to try and close the circuit it would  _ never _ work as well as the original design. If Chanyeol was taken away...Baekhyun didn’t even want to  _ imagine _ the war his coven would rage upon this earth.

“I’m not inclined to trust in people blinded by love.”

“Then listen to me.”

Baekhyun jumped as Junmyeon appeared out of  _ nowhere _ , his tawny skin and calm face dazzling even so early in the morning. He stood beside Baekhyun, taking his side. “I’ve known this kid longer than  _ anyone else in the world _ , and while he may be my bonded kin, I wouldn’t  _ ever _ let him lead you astray.”

The fey’s presence was reassuring, knowing his friend still trusted and supported him. Even after all their time apart, Junmyeon  _ believed _ in him.

“If you won’t trust him, then trust me when I tell you that if Baekhyun says he’s a good guy. Well, Chanyeol must be a pretty damn good guy.” Baekhyun was going to cry, breaking in the best way possible at the acceptance the fey was radiating towards him.

Kyungsoo still looked skeptical, but significantly less suspicious of Baekhyun and his intentions. He was clearly uncomfortable at the prospect of protecting one of the people he was supposed to be prosecuting, but he eventually shook himself out of his stupor. The gargoyle purses his lips, rocky limbs slow to move away from the desk.

“Fine. I won’t put you on the stand.” Baekhyun opened his mouth to immediately thank him, but Kyungsoo held up his hand. “Just, don’t make me regret this.”

Baekhyun clacked his mouth shut, clasping his hands and nodding vigorously. The occult then waved them away, grumbling about having to do his work as the human and fey slipped out into the hallway. Baekhyun immediately hugged Junmyeon, feeling tears prick at his lashes. “Thank you.”

Junmyeon hugged him back, holding him in a thug embrace. “For both our sakes, I hope you know what you’re doing.”

————————————

“We would like to call Byun Baekhyun to the stand.”

This was it.

Baekhyun felt all gross and icky as he raised from his seat, slowly ambling over to the railings gate. The security guard leaned over and opened it for him, the human feeling a wave of deja vu even though he was a different man from that scared and sick shadow of himself that had testified last time. Baekhyun was Traeger free, his mind clear, and heart set comfortably in his chest. He didn’t look close to death, quite the opposite as he strolled across the open area on the court floor.

He saw a couple of jurors doing double takes as he walked by and Baekhyun knew that when he got home that night he wasn’t going to hear the end of it. The suit he was wearing was a light grey with white pinstripes, a more billowy button up tucked underneath the jacket and dipping a little lower than most shirts do. Settling down at the witness stand, Baekhyun crossed one leg over the other and clasped his slight sweaty palms on his knee. The human offered a warm smile as he awaited Kyungsoo, who was exchanging quick words with that adorable foreign kid Mark.

“Mr. Byun.” Kyungsoo’s low voice boomed across the pin drop silence, Baekhyun nodding his acknowledgment as the gargoyle walked over towards him.

Baekhyun zoned out as they went through the basics. Where he was, why he was there, the proof to back it all up. It was when they got to the  _ Stained Glass _ and the Witchin Massacre that things took a different turn.

“Mr. Byun, are you aware that you were the soul survivor from the Witchin Massacre at the  _ Stained Glass _ ?”

Baekhyun fidgeted, twiddling with his thumbs beneath the stand. “I am aware, yes.”

“Well, that makes you the  _ only _ witness to the massacre. Can you recap how things went down after you entered the place in question?”

Flashes of vivid memory bursted behind his eyes every time he blinked, echoing arguments clashing against his ears like the thrown alcohol bottles that shattered against the walls. Somehow, Baekhyun found himself visibly hesitating. It took every cell in his body not to look over at Chanyeol for encouragement, fighting against impulse and instead, looking at Junmyeon. The effect was the same, a small smile of encouragement and a thumbs up...but somehow it still didn’t feel right.

“Well, when I entered the pub there were two groups of people arguing over something. I can’t remember much from their conversation, something about territory and vaults. But when I sat down, things quickly escalated.”

“Who escalated the situation?”

Baekhyun pondered, that scruffy witch in the leather jacket coming to mind. He had begun to push against that Adonis kid, the one who was involved with Taewoong. He was insulting their coven leader...and it all suddenly made sense.

“It was a witch in all black, crooked nose and kind of an ugly face.” That earned a few chuckles from the jury, Sehun snorting from somewhere behind Chanyeol. Jongin smacked him.

“Objection.” Yerim stood, Judge Choi seeming to sigh internally at her interruption. “Relevance?”

“Mr. Byun here is the only witness in a massacre and I’m questioning him as to who was responsible. How’s that irrelevant?” The caladrius seemed a bit off put by the answer, but overruled Yerim anyways. The pixie sat down in a petulant huff.

“If I were to offer you a set of photos, do you think you would be able to identify him?” Baekhyun nodded.

Three photographs were placed in front of him, all dark haired males with gruff mugs. They all looked worse for wear, but Baekhyun would know that beefed witch anywhere. The human made a show of picking the rightmost photograph, holding it up for the jury to see. It was a mugshot of the man when he had a patchy undercut, dark eyes and snaggletooth apparent in his snarl.

With permission, Kyungsoo passed the photo to the jury to get a good look at him. “That is Shin Yeonseok, better known as his coven alias  _ Striker _ .”

The jury nodded along as the picture made its rounds. “He was a well known underling of the Morningstar Coven, whose leader is none other than Kwan Kyowon.”

Yerim went to object, but Judge Choi held up a hand. He shook his head and the pixie slowly sat back down. Baekhyun found it amusing how little bullshit the caladrius took, and just how much he blatantly disliked the defense attorney.

“According to police and forensic DNA, one of the many casualties of the Witchin Massacre was Striker. Not to mention, according to our credible witness here, the one responsible for the escalation of the massacre.”

“Objection! Implied speculation towards my client!”

Kyungsoo held up his hands, backing away from the jury box. “My bad, I’ll withdraw that statement.”

The prosecutor pulled out more photos, placing them facedown on the witness box. “Do you think you can rightfully identify the other witch who was arguing with Striker?”

Baekhyun nodded, clearing his throat as the pictures were flipped over in front of him. Instantaneously, he picked out the Adonis’s photo.

“Well, that was quick.” Kyungsoo remarked, picking up the selected photograph.

“He’s a hard face to forget.” Baekhyun hadn’t ever seen a face quite like that witch’s, it wasn’t a type of beauty that could be replicated. Everything about him was like a blurred filter, he simply  _ shined _ around the edges.

“This-“ Kyungsoo gave the photograph to the jury. “Is Lee Yoonoh, a member of the Twilight Coven. He was second in command to Kim Taewoong, the eighteen year old coven leader having been missing since that night.”

Yerim was growing antsy, but the judge seemed very invested in where Kyungsoo was heading.

Kyungsoo turned back to Baekhyun, an apologetic smile playing on his lips. “Can you identify one more person for me Mr. Byun?”

“Of course.” Baekhyun said breathily, not liking where his supposedly straightforward testimony was going. Mark handed the gargoyle the last set of pictures, Baekhyun stealing a quick glance over to the defense table. None of the coven leaders were betraying anything, all except Kyowon. The crimson witch was flicking his eyes back and forth between the prosecutor and the jury, and the occasional glance to Eunjae. Chanyeol hadn’t moved.

“In your earlier testimony, you claimed you saw one of the defendants murdering a male outback. Is one of these pictures that male?” Baekhyun looked over to where Yerim was looking through her notes, cursing softly as she slammed them shut. The human assumed she figured out what was going on, some lawyer she was.

As each photo was flipped over, Baekhyun began to fill with anticipation and dread. His heart stopped as soon as he saw him. Taewoong. His face was smiling and youthful, a clearly strategical move by the prosecution team. Baekhyun didn’t even bother to look at the rest of the pictures, face falling as he stared at Taewoong and his lively neon hair. It hurt how young he was, it hurt what had become of him. But it didn’t hurt to pick up the photo.

Kyungsoo didn’t ask for further consideration, holding up the picture for all to see. “This is Kim Taewoong, the leader of the Twilight Coven. The boy the defendant Choi Eunjae killed.”

Discord arose as some of the members on the coven side of the room began to object, the caladrius banging his gavel as he yelled for order. Kyungsoo plowed right on as he addressed the jury directly.

“Killing a coven leader is an act of war in the witching world, and 1st degree  _ murder _ is a crime anywhere. This is confirmation that the defendant Choi Eunjae had not only murdered a  _ teenager _ , but that he colluded with Kwan Kyowon to massacre the  _ entire coven _ .”

Yerim was screaming over the crowd, Judge Choi going red in the face as he slammed his gavel, but Baekhyun only felt weightless as he looked towards Chanyeol. The coven leader looked cold, a picture of carved stone and marble as his face was inscrutable. If the other leaders were fretting over the possibility of Chanyeol finding out, all those worries flew out the window as further chaos ensued.

“Order goddammit!”

Suddenly, the entire room silenced. Baekhyun just barely caught the slivers of bright blue before they slinked away.

The judge turned to Kyungsoo. “Do you have  _ any _ basis for these claims? If not I’ll have to hold you in contempt of court-“

“I do.” Kyungsoo interrupted. “Your honor, I have a witness who will confirm everything I have just said.”

“Objection!” Yerim screeched. “I haven’t cross-examined the witness yet!”

“No further questions your honor.” The gargoyle bowed before retreating back to his table, Mark looking up at the lawyer as if he was the greatest thing since sliced bread.

Yerim was quick to stand up, dusting non-existent dust off her pencil skirt before clacking her heels over towards Baekhyun. The human didn’t like pixies, like most people he found their personalities to be just as hideous as their insides. It made it harder to look at the pretty girl with her peach colored hair and lime eyes without gagging. He didn’t undersee how witches got all the prejudice when quite literally  _ everyone _ hated pixies.

She tucked a piece of hair behind her pointed ear as she stood in front of Baekhyun with a sharp smile and a small vial in her hands. She held it up for the human to see more closely, the mixture a sparkly green with specks of silver in it.

“Do you know what this vial is?”

Baekhyun shook his head, uncomfortable with her cat-like smile. “I can’t say I do.”

“This is an illegal street potion confiscated by the police, it’s called the Winnow. Now, please answer me honestly Mr. Byun, how did you get through the Witchin Districts wards?”

“Objection your honor.” Kyungsoo stood as he readjusted his suit jacket buttons. “This is a misleading question. What does this potion have to do with the wards?”

The judge turned towards Yerim for an answer, looking unimpressed. “Ms. Kim?”

The pixie smiled excitedly in response. “I’m so glad you asked! When one takes the Winnow potion, they can bypass wards as if immune to their magic. It has the side effects of making the user quite sick and experience vivid, lifelike  _ hallucinations _ of all sorts. Though if taken by a human, can give the symptoms of magic fever for upwards of a  _ month _ .”

She then turned to the wide-eyed human, feigning thought. “Now that I think about it, you look quite well Mr. Byun. Last trial you seemed so sickly. Actually, wasn’t the first trial around a month after the Witchin Massacre?”

“Objection your honor! This is a leading question with clear hearsay.” Judge Choi turned to Yerim.

“Sustained.”

“Withdrawn. I have only one more question.” The caladrius mumbled in response, looking ready to leave for lunch.

“Mr. Byun, can you please tell the court how you bypassed the Witchin wards?”

Baekhyun took back what he said about Yerim, she was a  _ damn _ good lawyer. She just  _ single handedly _ casted his testimony in reasonable doubt, and was using Baekhyun to dig his own grave as she sprinkled dirt on his coffin. The human stared intensely at the pretty and petite woman, of her pointed ears and golden skin. Wondered why of all to try and sink his ship, it had to be a  _ fucking pixie _ .

“I don’t know.” Baekhyun lamely replied, holding eye contact as Yerim nodded.

“No further questions your honor.”

————————————

“We still have a strong case.” Junmyeon reassured Baekhyun as the human slouched against the wall during recess.

“The jury probably thinks I’m a fucking druggie!” Baekhyun exclaimed, exasperated. “They’ll think I was inhabited because she poised those questions so  _ fucking _ well. She knew if she asked me if I’ve ever had it it’d invalidate her argument, but she made sure to include all that bullshit about ‘hallucinations’.  _ Fuck _ .”

Baekhyun never knew that of all things to crush his testimony, it’d be those damn  _ wards _ . The very things that started this  _ entire _ mess was his downfall, and some black market potion he’d never heard of! The human pondered the validity of such a potion, surely Chanyeol would’ve asked him about it earlier if it could’ve explained the mystery of his entrance into the district. But wasn’t it unfair to assume that Chanyeol knew  _ every _ potion on the face of the earth? Especially an illegal one he may not even  _ know _ because he couldn’t  _ create _ it with his limited abilities.

Fuck, Baekhyun was mad. Mad at Yerim but more upset at  _ himself _ . He wished he had an answer to her questions, that he could’ve called her out on her manipulated questions and discredited  _ her _ instead of the other way around. But his testimony was over, and Kyungsoo still had that smug face on. He had some secret weapon and Baekhyun was too busy throwing a pity party to ask.

“Courts back in session.” Jongdae called out from down the hall, the last of the stragglers beginning to drag themselves back into the courtroom. Baekhyun hated this shit so much, he hated the unfairness and complexity of the justice system. Actually, he hated the  _ injustice _ of the justice system. Or perhaps he just wasn’t the crowd they were catering to, he was a human in an occultist courthouse.

Junmyeon pulled him up from where he had slid down the wall, dragging his reluctant ass back into the courtroom. After sitting back down, the doors closed to signify the beginning of the rest of the trial. This was the last segment before they could leave for the day, then Baekhyun would have to come back  _ tomorrow _ . He was still in the courthouse and he was already dreading coming back.

Baekhyun essentially zoned out for the next few minutes, filtering any words as  _ blah blah blah _ before Kyungsoo stood up to call a new witness.

“The prosecution would like to call Lee Seungyeon to the stand.”

The human straightened, bewildered as he watched the detective get up quietly and walk towards the open court floor.  _ They were calling  _ Seungyeon _ to the stand?! _ Then it hit him. She must have told her squad about what she overheard the day of the mistrial, and now she was going to go on record and tell her story. Baekhyun was going to faint, when did his life become such a drama?

“Ms. Lee, are you an agent of Seoul’s Super Natural Accordance Department of investigation?”

“Yes sir.” The human answered evenly, wearing something that  _ wasn’t _ her usual pantsuit. Instead, she wore a long, pastel yellow jumpsuit that complimented her tanned skin. Hair slicked back in a bun that pulled her face away from its resting position. For once her eyes without those damn sunglasses, revealing her squintish eyes that narrowed against the streaming sunlight outside.

“While investigating the Covens Three did you ever stumble across any confessions from the men in question?”

She shook her head, back pin-rod straight with her ankles crossed. “I was not actively investigating when I overheard two of the men in question confessing to the murder of Kim Taewoong.”

“Objection your honor-“ The caladrius sighed. “But did we ask? She is simply going on-“

“Ms. Lee, please refrain from jumping to and fro in your statement so we can all have some peaceful testimony.”

“Apologies, Your Honor.” The detective shifted uncomfortably in her seat, never one to be under great amounts of attention. She was clearly uneasy and awkward, trying too hard to relax. It created a bad impression on the jury, Baekhyun spying Junmyeon out of the corner of his eye shaking his head hopelessly.

“Well.” Kyungsoo clapped his hands. “Now that you mention it, can you tell us  _ where _ you were when you heard this supposed confession?”

“I was on the phone with my superior during the previous trial's recess when we were being called in early, I was supposed to be giving updates.” Seungyeon talked a bit too much, leaked a bit  _ too _ much detail. “But I got lost while on the phone, and after I ended the call I stumbled upon the confession.”

“Who were the men in question that you overheard?”

Seungyeon raised a hand to point out where Kyowon and Eunjae were sitting next to each other, Chanyeol silently moving his chair  _ away _ from them.

“Let the record show the witness has pointed out defendants Choi Eunjae and Kwan Kyowon.” Kyungsoo offered offhandedly to where the stenographer was typing away by the foot of the judge’s pedestal. She was a wrinkled bad of old skin and sported eight fingers on both hands, blinking vertically as she continued typing at an inhuman speed.

“Can you tell the court what is was you overheard?”

“Kyowon was arguing with Eunjae over something dealing with the murder of a boy, the former having been upset that Eunjae had killed whoever this boy was. Eunjae then admitted he’d killed him, but because he had ‘been making too much ruckus’ and had to be dealt with.”

The jury sent scornful looks towards the witch in question, the coven leader's face turning darker by the second. He might’ve known about Baekhyun, but no one was prepared for Seungyeon.

“Did either ever say who the boy was?”

At this Seungyeon hesitated, but only to observe Chanyeol carefully before answering. “They said he was Park Chanyeol’s apprentice.”

“Objection!”

“Overruled.”

“In case you were curious as to who the defendants apprentice was.” Kyungsoo walked over to Mark, the young lawyer-in-training handing him a photograph. “It is Kim Taewoong. The same boy who Mr. Byun so kindly identified as the male being killed outside the  _ Stained Glass _ .”

The jury began to murmur to each other, Judge Choi hitting his gavel at the disruption. Chanyeol still hadn’t moved from his position in his chair, but at the words he couldn’t help but close his eyes and look away from where the green witch sat beside him. He didn’t know whether to fake knowing the information already or use the opportunity to look as broken as he felt inside at the mention of his apprentice. The witch still hasn’t had the chance to mourn, or look for the boy's body. Taewoong deserved a proper burial.

“Was there anything else the two talked about?”

“Eunjae mentioned something about hiding the body and evidence where no one could find it, but Kyowon warned Eunjae to be careful. After that I had to leave before they could catch me.”

“No further questions your honor.”

Baekhyun could never be a lawyer, the constant banter back and forth was far too beyond his pay grade. He didn’t know how Yerim could salvage this, but then again, he hadn’t expected his solid story to be discredited so easily.

Yerim sauntered to Seungyeon, rapping her nails idly on the wood of the witness box. “Ms. Lee, do you have any recordings or solid evidence of this so-called confession?”

The detective hesitated. “No.”

“So, there isn’t any proof that my clients could have said those damning words besides your testimony? The testimony of an agent who was specially designed and handled the cases of the defendants?”

“Objection. Leading question.”

“Sustained.”

Yerim sighed, taking a few steps back to look at the other female from a different angle. “Do you have anything to back up your claims Ms. Lee?”

The detective’s thin eyes were quivering with the intense light that was suddenly shining down on her, shifting herself backwards. Baekhyun felt sorry for Seungyeon, but also proud of his fellow human stepping up and testifying no matter how uncomfortable it made her. Even if it was hard to watch, at least she tried.

“No. But I can’t lie under oath can I?”

Yerim quickly turned on her heel, heading back to her table with a flavorless grin. She ignored the question, clasping her hands as she addressed the judge. “No further questions your honor.”

————————————

The next day Baekhyun woke up with a weird feeling. No matter how much he tried to shake the sensation away, it plagued his mind like a disease. Even as he and Chanyeol got dressed, even when they got in the car, and even when they walked into the courthouse. It was just this nagging voice in the back of his head that was telling him something was wrong.

Then, the answer came at him in the form of short heels, wispy bangs, and ashy blonde hair.

Junmyeon was talking to the short lady, looking confused and even a little upset. But the stranger just shrugged, constantly beaming as if she didn’t know how to show any emotion other than happiness. Chanyeol began to drift away from Baekhyun as they approached, the witch slipping past and into the courtroom while Baekhyun slowed to stand next to the fey.

“Who is this?” Baekhyun gestured vaguely in the direction of the smiling lady, sending uneasy glances when her powder blue eyes landed on him.

“This is Wendy.” Junmyeon whispered, the short woman only a few feet away. “She’s the new prosecutor.”

Baekhyun whipped around to look at the unassuming lawyer, noting her blue eyes and pointy ears.

“Wendy Son, elf if you were curious.” The human reeled, leaving her thin hand to dangle in the air as he took a step back.

“New prosecutor? What happened to Kyungsoo?” This wasn’t right, none of it was right. Kyungsoo was doing a spectacular law-abiding job as their prosecutor, it didn’t make sense to just throw him out and put an elf in his place. Instantly, the stranger seemed all the more untrustworthy. Like a new doll thrust into Baekhyun’s doll house that had no right in being there.

“He was removed. But don’t fret! I’ll make sure we win this case no matter what!” She held up her fist in a way that was probably either supposed to be enduring or encouraging, but accomplished like neither.

“She won’t answer any of my questions.” Junmyeon remarked, sighing deeply as he too, began to observe the spritely occult. “I don’t trust her.”

“Oh c'mon boys!” Both stepped back in unison when Wendy tried to surge forward, eyeing her weirdly. “I’m not so bad!”

Baekhyun has learned that there’s no better answers than his instincts, and  _ they _ told him that this bitch was crazy. He didn’t like her presence, he didn’t like her vibe, and he didn’t like her black grandma heels. The human knew never to trust a young woman with distastefully old fashion. This lawyer was a culmination of everything he didn’t have faith in, like a lottery ticket that he knew was just a scam.

“Well, it doesn’t matter if you like me or not! Court's starting soon and you’re stuck with me!” Her voice was cheerful as she exclaimed the words, going in to hug Baekhyun who had never ducked so hard in his life.

Mark seemed even  _ more _ disapproving of Wendy, if possible. He was reluctant in helping her file and answering her questions, begrudgingly handing over Kyungsoo’s notes like a child handing over their phone. Baekhyun just couldn’t get rid of the feeling of  _ wrongness _ , there was just something so glaring different about Wendy and the way she acts. She was someone the human would expect to find working in an amusement park, smiling at children and pinching their cheeks.

The feeling persisted as the day dragged on, even if she was doing a decent job on executing questions and presenting evidence. Baekhyun was actually  _ relieved _ when Yerim took over to cross-exam, at least she gave off a natural bitchy vibe. But it was right before the lunch break when Baekhyun was most looking forward to leaving the stifling atmosphere, that Wendy stood up and requested a witness.

“I’d like to call Byun Baekhyun to the stand.”

From Baekhyun, to Yerim, to Mark, to even Judge  _ Choi _ \-  _ everybody _ was confused.

Junmyeon leaned forward and hissed at Wendy. “What do you think you’re  _ doing?“ _

“I’m winning this case.” Was all she said, glinting eyes landing on Baekhyun.

Yerim was thumbing through her paperwork, flipping back and forth in search for something. The caladrius looked bemused at the beaming elf, but granted her wish anyway. Baekhyun got up slowly and made his way towards the stand, lowering himself down onto the wooden chair for the second time in two days.

“Mr. Byun.” Baekhyun didn’t like where this was going. She hadn’t asked a question and yet his heart was palpitating funnily, his ears ringing slightly and his chest began to play yo-yo with his dread. Everything felt kind of fuzzy, like he was stuck in a fever dream. Baekhyun had never had such a full body rejection towards somebody, but as the elf approached he felt his heart stop.

“Have you been staying with one of the defendants in between trials?”

Baekhyun was sweating, why was he sweating? His palms hurt and his eyes ache.  _ This isn’t right _ ...this is all  _ wrong _ .

“Yes? Why is that important?” He gripped the arms of the chair, the human was a little woozy.

“Would you say you’ve seen a thing or two during your time with the defendant in question?”

Baekhyun furrowed his brows and narrowed his eyes, eyeing the still smiling occult.  _ Where were these questions going? _

“Can you elaborate?” Baekhyun asked, slightly out of breath.

Wendy nodded her head, rubbing her chin in a theatrical manner. “Did you witness any illegal activities while under the same roof as Park Chanyeol?”

Baekhyun stopped fidgeting, his muscles stopped tensing and he grew terribly still. His eyes were wide as saucers, in shock at the turn of events. The rest of the courtroom was quiet, Chanyeol looking like the copy and pasted version of Baekhyun. It seemed nobody could believe the new prosecutor had the gall to ask about the elephant in the room.

Baekhyun laughed nervously, pushing himself against the chair to subconsciously move away from the elf. “I’m not answering that question.”

Her brows creased, drawing down her ashy hair. “Why not? It’s a simple yes or no question.”

Baekhyun was disturbed and on the verge of panic. He had made a deal with Kyungsoo so this  _ exact _ thing couldn’t happen, so he wouldn’t be used against Chanyeol to bring him down. This stupid bitch hadn’t even waited a day before asking questions! The human crossed his arms and bounced his foot, avoiding her eyes as she drew closer.

“Mr. Byun, you have to answer the question. If there’s nothing to hide then you shouldn’t have to worry.” Baekhyun ignored her, eyes sweeping over the right side of the courtroom. Luhan was giving him a look, Seungyeon as well looking like she wanted to urge Baekhyun to answer. They didn’t understand. Jongdae and Minseok exchanges worried glances, scared as to why their friends wouldn’t respond. But who Baekhyun truly looked at was Junmyeon. The fey’s expression was stormy and saddened, knowing  _ exactly _ what road they were going down.

Wendy decided to take another approach, her advances starting to piss Baekhyun off. “Okay, is there a reason you won’t answer my question? Is he preventing you from doing so? Are you in danger? Is there something  _ deeper _ between you two?”

Yerim wasn’t objecting anything, apparently too in shock to do her job. Kyowon looked vaguely amused, but Eunjae seemed enraged. He turned to where Chanyeol was still staring at the back of Wendy’s head, face twisted in a snarl as he grabbed onto the taller witch’s jacket.

“Are you fucking that human?”

Chanyeol snapped out of his stupor to growl back, shoving the coven leader off of him. The judge noticed the commotion but did nothing to stop it, everyone forgetting their  _ fucking jobs _ in favor of watching the drama play out like a soap opera.

“Mr. Byun, you need to answer my questions. You’ll be held for obstruction of justice otherwise.”

“Fuck off lady bitch.” Baekhyun snapped, leaning forward in his chair to hiss at the stranger who came prying into his personal life for the sake of her sick games. All she cared about what this fucking case, she was just like those people outside. Ignorant and hateful, digging and digging until she struck a nerve. It was all in the way she smiled, but then her face dropped when the human fought back.

“You’re asking compound questions and that isn’t legal. You’re poking at something you don’t understand because of some twisted sense of justice. You probably did something sinister to get here!” Baekhyun suddenly stood up, leaning his hands against the box that confined him. “How about you answer one of  _ my _ questions. Where the fuck is Kyungsoo huh? Did you go out and bury him in your yard with that serial killer smile of yours?”

Chanyeol shoved Eunjae to sit back in his seat, peering past him to glare at Yerim. “Object to something you useless pixie! Don’t you have a job to do!”

The lawyer looked startled, glancing back and forth and back and forth between Baekhyun and Chanyeol. She looked lost, as if trying to piece two and two together.

“I...I don’t know what to do!”

“ _ Object bitch! _ “

Wendy pointed an accusatory finger at her witness, narrowing her eyes as she raised her voice for the whole courtroom to hear. “Kyungsoo couldn’t ask the hard questions. All three of those men are guilty of capital level crimes and he was letting one get away with them! So, he was  _ removed _ . Now answer the question.”

Baekhyun scowled, he curled his hands around the wood of the box and dug in his nails until they ached. The muscle in his jaw began to twitch as he grit his teeth, refusing to answer any of her Damn questions. He wouldn’t do that to Chanyeol, he’d never hurt his witch.

Now Chanyeol was getting pissed, standing out of  _ his _ chair to yell at his lawyer. “Aren’t you going to object?!”

Yerim shrunk away as she started flipping through her notes, and the witch wanted to throw those damn things across the room. They never did her any good.

“Objection!” The coven leader threw up his hands, flopping back down into his seat as he rubbed his hands against his face. Never once has he felt so close to killing a pixie for absolutely no good reason. “Baekhyun is a coven member to the Horned Moon Coven and  _ therefore _ doesn’t have to answer questions under oath.”

Wendy snickered, turning around to address the defense attorney. “That’s an invalid request and you know it. Mr. Byun is a  _ temporary _ member of the defendant’s coven, which means he doesn’t have protection under the same rules. I’m well within my right to ask questions.”

Yerim slammed her notes down, glowering as that telltale pixie began to peak out. “Well then I request an extended recess!”

Judge Choi pinched the bridge of his nose as the two women were about to throw down in a giant cat fight. “On what grounds do you request this recess Ms. Kim?”

Yerim straighten out her wrinkled skirt and tried to compose her loosened control on her body. If any occult got too worked up they reverted back to their original form. Baekhyun personally could go his whole life without seeing any form of a pure pixie. Their ugly muddled skin, their gruesome teeth and black eyes, not to mention their gnarled hair and claws the length of a forearm! He could already see peaks of sharpened teeth, the human didn’t need anymore.

“She didn’t tell us of her intentions to call Baekhyun as a witness, much less why. I’m within  _ my _ right to request because I wasn’t given ample time to craft a defense!”

“A good lawyer can work on their feet.” Wendy insisted, whipping on her heel to stare up at the vexed judge. “If she’s going to be defending some of the worst criminals in history, then she should be able to defend and cross-exam at the snap of a finger!”

“That is unfair!” The pixie screeched, looking close to a meltdown as she met her match. “I’m a great lawyer! I just like to take my time so my clients can get the best out of their money!”

“For god's sake-“ The elf and pixie were starting to scream at each other, the jury looking frightened as they quickly escalated. The caladrius hit his gavel, demanding for order. “You’ll get your extension! Court is adjourned until 8 am sharp. Now get out!”

Baekhyun kept over the witness stand, stumbling on the landing when a hand grabbed his wrist. Chanyeol was already on him, dragging him across the courtroom and straight to the door. The human's friends tried to grab at him to ask questions, but the brunette was quick to pick up his pace. Sehun, Jongin, and Johnny all met them outside.

“What the fuck was that?” Sehun asked, looking at Baekhyun in particular. “Why the hell did she do that!”

Jongin twitched from behind the shadow of the silver witch, interrupting his peer before he could launch into one of his fits. “She was within her right to ask, that much is true. I’m actually more curious to know why the previous prosecutor didn’t utilize the same tactic.”

“Because I made a deal with him!” Baekhyun loudly whispered, throwing his hands up in the air in defeat. “He wasn’t going to ask  _ anything _ , but then suddenly he’s gone and this psycho is in his place! Asking all these fucking questions-“

“She  _ is _ a lawyer-“

“Shut up Jongin!” Baekhyun and Sehun shouted in unison, the brazen witch holding up his hands in surrender.

“What do you want us to do Park?” Johnny piped up, holding back his opened suit jacket with his pockets hands. Even now he looked so casual and laid back, metal earrings glinting in the artificial light. “Should I gather the coven?”

All four pairs of eyes shifted, looking toward the coven leader in the uncertain time. Chanyeol didn’t look thrilled, nor did he look certain. But nobody was giving him time to  _ think _ , they had to leave if the witch had any hopes of finding a solution.

“Yes, Johnny, gather the coven and send them home. The press and protesters outside are going to be an issue, so Sehun, I’m going to need you to clear a path.” The witch cracked his knuckles at the task. “Don’t have too much of a field day. Jongin, go get Yuta and tell him to use his little illegal car thing to get over here  _ now _ .”

The witches all nodded, Johnny and Sehun splitting in opposite directions as Jongin zipped out of existence. That left Chanyeol to grab Baekhyun and tug him away from where the courtroom doors were being opened, witches and detectives alike spilling out. The human could hear his friends yelling at him, but he only slipped his hand into Chanyeol’s and  _ ran _ .

By the time they got to the outside doors, a pile of wrecked cameras were sitting on the platform in a pile. There was also a  _ bigger _ area of phones, but Baekhyun didn’t have time to gawk as the witch dragged him down the steps. The human felt like a stowaway, running in the veil of night to a better life. The car wasn’t there yet, but Sehun stood near the center of the stairs with his arms stretched out. The protesters were pushed off to each side of the steps on the furthest ends, banging against the magical confines that kept them in place. But because it was Sehun, they barely had enough room to  _ breathe _ much less revolt.

The Phantom came screeching to a halt then, materializing out of a blue stream of speed. Jongin peeped out of the back seat and opened the door, but by the time Chanyeol was shoving Baekhyun in, he was gone. There was angry shouting and Eunjae exited the courthouse. He was yelling something about betrayal to the cobalt witch, and Chanyeol promptly shut the door. Except, he was on the  _ outside _ .

Yuta began to put the car in drive as Baekhyun objected. “But Chanyeol-“

“He’ll be fine. I have a feeling this is what he wants.” Baekhyun didn’t like how the reptilian spoke, pressing himself against the window as they drove away at illegal speeds. Eunjae was at the height advantage at the top of the grand stairs, swampy green pouring from his skin as Chanyeol stood his ground at the bottom.

They turned a corner before the human could see what became of the duo.

Baekhyun wasn’t buckled, so he was being slammed around the backseat as the car recklessly drove. But he wasn’t worried about the bruises that were sure to rise within the next few days, he was worried about what they left behind. Now that he knew Chanyeol’s weakness, he knew he wouldn’t stand a chance against a witch like Eunjae. Especially if the other used black magic to fight. That’s what he assumed they were doing, fighting.

Eunjae looked pissed when Baekhyun had been put on the stand, unwarrantedly angry. He seemed to be one of the few people to understand what was going on, and the coven leader either didn’t like the aspect of one of the most powerful witches falling for a human...or that that human wasn’t his. The brunette was never able to comprehend that man's motives, mood swings or sinister nature. Baekhyun also didn’t want to, content to hide away in his tower as he waited for his prince.

Jongin was quick to extract him from the car and bring him upstairs, standing guard as he paced the living room where Baekhyun sat.

“I’m fine Jongin-“

“No, I’m not leaving you alone.”

Baekhyun felt uneasy, but Jongin looked  _ stressed _ . No doubt was he worried about Chanyeol. Sure, the witch was mostly recovered from the mall incident.  _ But _ , at least at the mall he wasn’t going against a fellow coven leader. Witches with sigils were like witches on crack, they were ridiculously more powerful with the boost. Chanyeol might be able to take on smaller ones, hell, even some of the sigil’s rising in prominence. But Eunjae was a no,  _ especially _ if someone threw Kyowon into the mix. They’d fight dirty, and Chanyeol was magically incapable of matching those dirty tactics.

“Go.” Baekhyun insisted, understanding that he wasn’t the highest priority. “Just send Sicheng up here or out me down there with him. Oddly enough, I’d feel safer with him than you. You’re  _ so _ distracted right now.”

Jongin looked like he wanted to object, but Baekhyun was already holding up his hand. “I’ll go to the lobby, at least there I’m not alone a hundred stories up. Just  _ go _ .”

Memories of Eunjae invading the penthouse while Baekhyun was alone honestly made the human want to leave, and the brazen witch’s antsy attitude was rubbing off on him. Each second that ticked by made him exponentially more worried, and if sending one of the higher ranking witches away would give Chanyeol more of a fighting chance. Then so be it.

With one last look at Baekhyun as the human entered the elevator, the witch vaporized into the air. As the human rode back down to the ground floor, he couldn’t help but feel his stomach dropping with him.

_ Please _ . He begged to any deity that would listen, burying his face in his hands as his heart beat erratically in his chest.  _ Please just let Chanyeol come back home safe _ .

————————————

The underling coven members flooded back into the lobby as Sicheng had Baekhyun sitting on the floor with his tail coiled around him like a protective nest. Even long after the rest of the members arrived, there was no sign of the high ranking witches. Johnny, who was supposed to come back with them, was nowhere to be found.

Baekhyun had somehow fallen into a fitful sleep when suddenly the tail around him began to shift. He awoke to the sound of hissing and breaking stone, opening his eyes to see Sicheng raised at least ten feet in the air by the pure muscle that was his tail. His eyes were white with his slitted pupils vibrating in warning, the rattle Baekhyun had been messing with suddenly shaking loudly in his ear.

Turns out, some of those mercenaries were back. Baekhyun found it comical that they were such trouble for the witches, yet hadn’t lasted more than ten seconds with the gorgon. Baekhyun had peeked his head over and would you know it, there were three distinct piles of rubble. The stone detailing one new witch, the cloning witch, and the dagger controlling female from the mall. Baekhyun wanted to kick the piles that they had become, but was too (rightfully) scared to leave the gorgons nest.

Now it made sense how he could sleep at such a time, the human was as safe as ever with the gorgon protecting him.

“Medusa is quaking.” Baekhyun mumbled as Sicheng lowered back to the ground, giggling at his own joke as the receptionist dropped some food onto his head. If it was a ploy to get him to shut up, it worked.

Well into the night, crashes sounded outside the Scraper walls. Baekhyun perked up at the noise, the rattle beside him shaking to life. It quickly died out though when the doors opened, the human watching the the gorgons face soften with worry at whoever entered.

Baekhyun shot up, running to the trio of witches. Johnny and Sehun were dragging in a half-alive Jongin, the bronze witch lolling his head against his chin. The human was panicking, Chanyeol wasn’t there. Sensing the impending panic, Sehun shook his head. “He’s fine. He’s upstairs.”

“Probably panicking.” Johnny offered offhandedly, staring pointedly at Baekhyun. The human  _ not _ upstairs where he was supposed to be.

“ _ Shit _ .” But Baekhyun hesitated, hands reaching towards the same witch he had told to leave.

“Don’t act all guilty Baekhyun.” Sehun chided, but it wasn’t hateful. “He saved Chanyeol’s life, he did the right thing.”

_ You _ did the right thing.

Baekhyun quickly sprinted to the elevator, anxiously bouncing as it took  _ so fucking long _ to reach the top. The knell hadn’t even rung and he was yanking open the scissor gates aggressively, heart dropping at the sound of breaking glass. The human ran into the living room and found Chanyeol running around frantically, tears springing to his eyes as the coven leader was so focused he hadn’t seen him.

“Chanyeol-“ he choked out, tears coming down faster when the witch whipped around. Relief was stark against his face as the coven leader stopped his rampage of the apartment, his entire body relaxing as he ran over to Baekhyun and swept him up in his arms.

The human wrapped his legs around his waist and buried his face in his witch’s neck, fisting the fabric of Chanyeol’s dirtied button up as he cried. The witch pressed the back of Baekhyun’s head into his skin, embracing the shaking human. Both had been so worried, Chanyeol  _ so _ close to tearing his home apart piece by piece when he couldn’t find Baekhyun.

“I was so worried.” Baekhyun felt the vibrations of his words as the coven leader spoke, snuggling closer as his muffled voice soothed his fried nerves. “I thought you were gone.”

The human cried. He cried in relief, cried in fear, cried as his emotions overwhelmed him. Baekhyun had never cried so much in his life, an emotional fountain of tears as soon as he met Park Chanyeol. The witch brought out this side of him that made him so sappy, this happy ball of emotion that was so easily crushed when the male was gone.

“I-I was s-so fucking scared.” Baekhyun heaved through his sobs, hugging the witch’s body closer with every limb he had. He never wanted to let go.

“I’m okay.” Chanyeol reassured, carding his fingers soothingly through Baekhyun’s tousled hair. “We’re okay. We’re safe. Everything’s going to be fine.”

But it  _ wasn’t _ fine. Baekhyun was going to be forced against the witch, used as a weapon against the man he loved. Baekhyun could be the reason Chanyeol was  _ killed _ . The thought made him shake harder with the sobs that burst out of his throat, defeated and aching at the heartbreak. He should’ve listened to Chanyeol, he shouldn't have been so  _ selfish _ . Now he was making Chanyeol pay, possibly with his life.

If Baekhyun spilled what the coven leader did for a living, while it may not seem bad to him, it was an illegal use of power. It was capitalizing off of ‘desperate’ people and taking advantage of his magic. It was worth at least one lifetime in prison, and that was only one  _ count _ of the charges.

Chanyeol maneuvered them to the overturned couch, using his magic to flip it carefully back onto its legs. He peeled off the human when they sat down, trying to calm his hysterical crying. He knew what this was about, and there was nothing that could comfort Baekhyun besides Chanyeol saying that  _ it wasn’t his fault _ . The witch had grown weak in his resolve, he let the human in knowing the consequences. But the coven leader didn’t regret it, he’d do it all over again if he could. He didn’t expect Baekhyun to understand.

“Baekhyun, it’s  _ fine _ -“

“ _ No it’s not! _ “ He wailed, scrubbing his damp face with his sleeves. “It’s all my fault!”

“Don’t say that.” Chanyeol scolded, trying to pull back the humans arms and hands from his face only to get feebly slapped away. “It takes two to tango.”

“Exactly.” Baekhyun sniffled, still hiccuping between his fresh tears and congested voice. “If I had only  _ listened _ -“

“Baekhyun-“ Chanyeol didn’t know how to convince him it was  _ okay _ . They both made a mistake, only the witch wasn’t regretful. It was his decision, it was  _ his _ authority that got Baekhyun as far as he did. If he had only resisted his impulses, drew away and built up his walls, they wouldn’t be in this situation. But they also wouldn’t be  _ here _ , holding each other as they felt emotions far greater than either of them could imagine.

For all it was worth, at least Chanyeol had lived his life with love before death.

But the witch also wasn’t the one who’d be left to roam the earth guilt ridden and heart broken. He wouldn’t be the one living alone again as his inner demons tore him apart piece his piece. Baekhyun would be left behind, and no matter how strong his soul was and how vibrantly he lived life. The human would be crushed, left to wither away like a starved flower until he couldn’t take the agony anymore.

Baekhyun wouldn’t just be killing Chanyeol, he’d be killing himself in a much slower, more  _ agonizing _ manner.

“I won’t do it.” Baekhyun insisted, shaking his head as he sniffled loudly. “They can’t make me.”

Chanyeol shook his head, pushing back the human's unruly hair. “You can’t do that, you’ll get jail time. Maybe even prison considering the severity of the case, and I can’t do that to you.”

“I won’t do it!” Baekhyun shook his head vehemently as he grasped the hands on the side of his face, denying any other way out. “I won’t sentence you away.”

“Baekhyun.” The coven leader sighed. “It doesn’t matter if you answer their questions or not, I’m still held at the same standard as the other two. You’ll just be punishing yourself.”

Baekhyun wanted to rip his heart out and stab it himself with how much it was hurting him, it was his heart's fault anyway. No matter how much he tried to deny himself such a mysterious man, no matter how much he bounced around and did stupid shit that should’ve scared the witch away, he  _ stayed _ . Chanyeol stayed, and Baekhyun stayed. They both stayed and they both committed.

“I can’t do it.” Baekhyun sobbed, slumping in defeat as Chanyeol pulled him back into his arms. “I love you too much.”

The words hurt Chanyeol. Like daggers to his heart, twisting painfully as he held his crying human. Every sob was like a punch, every defeated sniffle a harsh pinch, but those five words? Automatic gunshots that rattled his soul, tore apart the fabric like a starving lion shredding into its first prey in  _ months _ . There was nothing left but residual streaks of blue, a husk of what used to be.

“I love you too.” He whispered. “That’s why I need you to  _ save yourself _ .”

Damn both of them for being such stubborn assholes.

“Fat chance.” Baekhyun hissed, his soul fighting until the end.

Chanyeol felt a tear roll down his cheek as he pulled Baekhyun in, pressing their foreheads together even when it burned their skin. His chest was on fire, but the witch wasn’t crying like Baekhyun was. It was the type of burn that  _ hurt _ , like spice that couldn’t be extinguished. It was like someone had poured molten lava in his chest and it was slowly inching its way to fill every crevice and ridge. The coven leader chalked it up to heartbreak, even though the pain was so  _ physical _ .

The human felt similar pain, but his hysterics muted the conflagration. To him, it was simply the normal ache and burn that came with crying your heart out.

Chanyeol continued to hush him, thumbing away all the tears that soaked Baekhyun’s face. Words didn’t have a place here anymore. The witch dipped in and pressed a tender kiss to the humans salty lips, aching at the contact like a loss. His skin stung and his lips were throbbing in pain, parting with Baekhyun when the latter started to whimper in pain. Even as Chanyeol pulled away, the pain stayed. His forehead felt as if someone had split it open with a hammer, odd flashes of color swimming over his vision.

It seemed like forever until the pain began to subside, Baekhyun curled into a ball in Chanyeol’s lap. He was still crying, no matter how many times he tried to stop the tears they kept leaking out. His head was pounding, but it was nothing compared to what he went through with the Traeger. Instead, he just felt exhausted. Burrowing his thumping head into the witch’s chest, Baekhyun sighed with a heavy heart and the last of his tears dripping down his face.

Chanyeol was patting his hair, dragging his dull nails on the upstroke to create a soothing pattern on his scalp. Baekhyun had actually begun to fall asleep when the witch pulled his head back to look at him, slow hands halting in their movements.

“Baekhyun.”

The human didn’t respond, body drained of any and all energy. He just wanted to crawl into bed and never get up.

“ _ Baekhyun _ .”

“What.” He mumbled, pouting at being kept awake. Could he not sulk in peace?

“You don’t have to testify.”

At that, Baekhyun’s eyes languidly blinked open. Chanyeol looked far more composed than Baekhyun himself, but his sigil was shining an oddly diluted blue. It was as if someone had mixed the two colors of his sitting sigil and the cobalt of his hair, the sight oddly fitting for the coven leader.

“Hypocrite.” Was all Baekhyun said, content to close his eyes again at the cruel words.

“I’m serious.” Baekhyun rolled his eyes, backing away from the witch’s warm touch. If this was a joke, it wasn’t a very funny one.

“Wait here.” As Chanyeol got up, Baekhyun snickered. As if he had many other places to go.

The witch then disappeared into his study, Baekhyun curling his arms around his knees as he tentatively touched his forehead. A flare of sensation burst underneath the skin, like a jolt you’d get from accidentally touching a charged doorknob. The human jerked his fingertips away, groaning as he rubbed his tired eyes. His life was bullshit and he just wanted to sleep.

Chanyeol reappeared with an older looking book, quickly reading something on the ink blotted pages and tossing it on the couch. That’s when he sat back in front of Baekhyun, grasping his hands and pulling him closer.

“I need you to remember the words I’m about to say, can you do that for me?” Baekhyun found it hard enough to stay awake after a sudden wave of fatigue riddled his body, but he nodded tiredly anyway. He wanted to listen to Chanyeol, he could hold on a bit longer.

Little did Baekhyun know what those words meant and what they were going to do.

————————————

“The defense would like to call Byun Baekhyun to the stand.”

Baekhyun was fucking tired of getting called to the damn stand, especially after he woke up that morning with a head splitting headache. He felt it behind his eyes, in his temples, and all the way to the back of head. It was a  _ head _ ache in every sense of the word. It made it hard for the human to maneuver his way to the stand, feeling like a record on repeat but in a different suit.

Unceremoniously, he flopped onto the wooden seat. Baekhyun held the bridge of his nose as pressure built behind his eyes, leaning heavily on the arm of the chair as he awaited for the elf to ask her ridiculous questions. Wendy smiled as she approached Baekhyun, who in turn glared as hatefully as he could at her bright presence. It was like looking into the sun after a hangover, except this sun  _ talked _ .

“Mr. Byun, I will ask you this once and one time only.” Baekhyun rolled his eyes, replaying Chanyeol’s words in his mind.

_ Just wait for her first question, then say this. She won’t be able to ask you  _ anymore _ questions _ .

God, why was law so  _ difficult _ .

“Did you bare witness to any illegal activities while under Park Chanyeol’s residency?”

The words brought on nausea, the human watching his world tilt as vertigo kicked in. Baekhyun flopped slightly in his seat as he tried to blink away the elf’s swirling and dimming face, bile rising in his throat that he desperately swallowed down. She was saying something but Baekhyun’s couldn’t hear past the humming in his ears, trying to read her lips only to nearly vomit as his feet.

“Mr. Byun-“

Baekhyun threw his head back as a whoosh of air left his lungs, attempting to breath through the blockage in his throat. The judge was trying to tell him something but everything was ebbing in and out. Was he on drugs? He felt sick but these, what are they, hallucinations? They were even more disorienting than his pounding headache. As a child he always wanted to know what it’d be to be a sock in a washing machine, now Baekhyun regretted that life goal.

“The witness  _ will _ answer the question.” Judge Choi was staring very intently down at him, but Baekhyun just groaned. Shifting his weight forward, he held himself up by the polished wooden walls of his little box. He tried to focus on Wendy’s face, but there were at least five of her and they kept swinging around.

“I invoke the Sigil Clause.” He said on one long exhale, struggling to get words to formulate on his cotton tongue. But he repeated word for word what Chanyeol had told him, glad that the witch had drilled it into his now muddled mind.

“As recourse from the unconstitutional action of testifying against one of sigil, soul, and loyalty. I invoke.”

The courtroom froze, Wendy stilling in front of him. Eunjae and Kyowon straightened in their seats, the witch side of the room all staring in shock at the sickly human. Suddenly, the elf surged forward and pushed the hair hanging over his forehead up and away. Someone gasped, another fainted, Wendy cursed.

An iridescent circle was embezzled on his forehead, two crescent moons leaning against the shape. It shined a muddled blue at the exposed light, the sigil on Chanyeol’s head brightening to match. For the first time during either trials, Judge Choi looked bewildered. His eyes were saucers, large to begin but with how enlarged they became the eyeballs looked like they were going to fall out of his head.

Eunjae slowly turned to Chanyeol, who in turn gave him a side eye.

A pin dropped in the silence.

“You  _ fucker _ .”

Baekhyun winced away at the sudden ruckus that ensued, people were screaming and others were shaking their fellow witches in disbelief. Security was trying to separate the Covens Three as hell just broke loose. Wendy was shouting her objections at the sudden appearance of a sigil on a human, the very presence of the insignia supposedly impossible. Yerim was stumbling over to Baekhyun to bring him down, sharp nails digging into his side as she guided him towards Junmyeon.

The caladrius simply sat with his gavel between his hands in a praying position, closing his eyes as he leaned his head against them. Chaos and discord mingled all across the room as witches tried to get close enough to Baekhyun to see his sigil, exclaiming and questioning how it could be true. The human didn’t know what they were talking about, and his posse seemed equally as confused. Even Junmyeon, a lawyer, didn’t understand the uproar.

“For anyone who can hear me.” Judge Choi sighed. “We’ll be parting for a short recess.”

Baekhyun collapsed under his own body weight, Luhan and Junmyeon attempting to hold him up. But soon after, the human was swept up and into Sehun’s arms. The witch looked a mixture between shocked and pissed, carrying away Baekhyun as if he didn’t just steal the human from his friends. Before they could object, Jongin popped up and reassured them they could follow. The whole group squeezing through rioting witches and their excited rampage.

“What the hell is going on?” Sehun ignored the fey who had pushed his way to the front, bursting open the men’s bathroom door with a gust of wind. Similar gusts were applied to each stall, only after insuring they were alone did Sehun speak up.

“Honestly? I have no  _ fucking _ idea.”

“Sehun, I think we  _ both _ know what’s happening.” Jongin wiggled his way through their small crowd, smiling and excusing himself the whole way through.

“It’s not possible!” The silver witch exclaimed, settling himself on the floor with Baekhyun lolling away to sleep. “It’s just a fairy tale!”

“What’s just a fairy tale?” Yixing asked, straw pendent and coarse fabric the only outfit he ever wore. Sehun waved him away, attempting to dismiss when Jongin piped up.

“As kids we’re all told about the same story of two witches.” Jongin began, his silver companion groaning in annoyance. “They were to be burned under accusations of black magic, and the human police tried to get them to turn against each other. The whole deal was save yourself and damn your partner.”

“But.” Johnny suddenly interrupted, leaning against the sink as he messed with his earring. “No matter how much torture they endured, they refused to spill the truth. They claimed they were innocent, but the police wouldn’t settle until one was convicted.”

Jongin picked up where the other witch left off. “They both had coupled sigils, they weren’t the same but similar enough that it linked the two of them as one. They claimed they couldn’t be tortured to damn the other because of their sigils, like how married couples don’t have to testify against their spouse.”

Jongdae crossed his arms, clearly distrustful and a little perturbed by the childhood bedtime story. “What kind of story is this? How is this supposed to end?”

Sehun scoffed. “They both ended up burning.”

Jongdae shifted a little closer to Minseok.

“But what does this have to do with what just happened in there?” Junmyeon questioned. “Are you saying that Baekhyun and Chanyeol are those two sigils or something?”

“You know nothing of witchcraft.” Sehun sneered, situating Baekhyun off of his lap to stand up. “Sigils have been around since the  _ beginning of time _ , you can’t get rid of them. They’re passed on when the previous holder dies and the killer gets the sigil, it’s a cycle.”

“So.” Sehun drawled, lowering himself to look Junmyeon in the heterochromatic eyes. “The point those two are trying to make is that that story was real and that  _ somehow _ when being burned at the stake, those witches lost their sigils and  _ that _ .” Sehun poked to the ebbing blue shape on Baekhyun’s forehead. “Is one half of that pair.”

“It’s why the Sigil Clause is in place.” Johnny added helpfully. “When witches finally became a part of the occultist government, some of the more superstitious ones wanted to add it into their constitution. Just in case at some point those sigils arose and unlike the story, they couldn’t be killed because of their refusal to damn the other.”

“I don’t even know if it was actually included in the final draft.” Sehun added with contempt, as if speaking of such possibilities was a waste of his time. “Like I said, it’s all bullshit!”

The door creaked open, and the entirety of the bathroom crowd turned to face the newcomer. Chanyeol peeped through, cobalt eyes scanning over every gaze directed at him. “Am I interrupting something?”

“Jongin is being daft again!” Sehun whined, like a child telling on his sibling.

“Am not!” Jongin petulantly bit back, crossing his arms and looking far too butt hurt for a grown man.

Johnny stepped forward and held open the door for Chanyeol. “Jongin thinks your sigil is the same from our childhood story about those two witches, and Sehun insists that it’s all make believe.”

The coven leader nodded along, crowd parting as he made his way over to Baekhyun. He crouched by his head and gently touched the sigil, the dual crescents and perfect circle bleeding a cobalt blue. The human mumbled something incoherently and Chanyeol drew his hand away.

“Now's the part where you tell us what’s going on.” Sehun retorted, crossing his arms and putting on that bitchy attitude he always wore around strangers. “When the fuck did this happen?”

Chanyeol shrugged, brushing the brunette's hair away from his face. “He was distraught over the thought of being the reason I was sent to prison, or possibly death. I was trying to calm him down...”

“And...?”

“Well.” Chanyeol was reluctant to expose such a delicate moment between the two of them with so many people, especially when Baekhyun wasn’t mentally present to give his opinion. “He told me he loved me, I touched my forehead to his, and we both started to experience pain.”

“And...?”

Chanyeol glared at Sehun. “And we kissed Sehun, are you happy now?”

“Terribly.” He mumbled.

“That seems a little cliche.” Jongdae whispered, sending uncomfortable glances towards his friend on the floor. “I mean, you do something tender and romantic and suddenly he gets some shape on his forehead? Doesn’t make any sense to me.”

“Was it the first time you kissed?” Junmyeon hit Yixing, cursing the bokors lack of brain-to-mouth filter.

Sehun snickered. “High doubt it~”

If the silver witch slipped on the floor for seemingly no reason, it wasn’t Chanyeol.

“Was it the first time you said you loved each other?” Luhan tried, getting the answer through the coven leader's prolonged silence. Sehun was garnering way too much amusement seeing his friend squirm uncomfortably, saving this moment into the back of his mind so Chanyeol can never live it down.

“But I’m still confused.” Jongdae held up a hand, pinching his nose in frustration. “How does he have a  _ fucking sigil? _ Are you saying he isn’t human?”

Jongin shook his head. “He’s definitely human...but now that I think about it...he’s done some questionable things.”

“Questionable how?” Minseok spoke up for the first time, little frost particles flaking onto where he was gripping the sinks countertop.

“Well, there’s the wards.” Johnny pointed out. “If he somehow had that sigil but it was  _ dormant _ , that could explain why he was able to get through.”

“Then there’s the Traeger!” The bronze witch suddenly gasped, jumping up and down as he came to a grand realization. “Those demons suck on souls, but  _ what if _ , hear me out. The reason he survived was not because he had a human soul, but  _ because _ he was sharing one with Chanyeol!”

Sehun rolled his eyes. “You’re implying that this human has been somehow bonded to Chanyeol for what?  _ His whole life? _ “

There was silence. The witch looked towards Chanyeol, but the coven leader's face was slack. It made sense. Chanyeol had always been weak when it came to certain magic or controlling it, his gifts coming to him belatedly. It wasn’t because the witch was born with a  _ sigil _ , but because he was missing part of himself in a  _ human _ .

“Oh no.” Sehun whined, rubbing his face in frustration. “Not you too!”

“Admit it Sehun!” Jongin yelled, triumphantly wagging a finger at him. “It makes  _ sense! _ “

The man rolled his eyes, he was surrounded by fanatical idiots who believed in some fairy tale. The very aspect of a human having a sigil was  _ preposterous _ , what it implies was that Chanyeol had a fucking  _ soulmate _ . That kind of shit simply didn’t exist

“Sehun?” The aforementioned turned lazily to where his leader was still crouched in the ground. “You remember when my mother passed away?”

Sehun scrunched his nose in distaste. “Yes, but that’s a bit of a grim question is it not?”

“Before she died.” Chanyeol slowly rose, turning to look at Sehun fully. “She conjured me an endellion, that blue flower.”

“Oh no.”

“Yeah.” Chanyeol replied breathily, unable to believe it himself. “Those only bloom for one person, it was meant just for me.”

Jongin was shaking Johnny by his shoulders, smiling with scrunched eyes and silently squealing. Sehun sagged in defeat, he had been there when Baekhyun made the endellion blossom. The plant was extremely rare and even harder to conjure, once they touched a witch they only blossomed for  _ them _ . It recognizes a witch’s specific magic, and Baekhyun shouldn’t have been able to make it bloom without some sort of magical signature it could identify.

“ _ Fuck _ .” Chanyeol nodded, shrugging at his friend's rout expression.

“It seems the story wasn’t as fake as we believed.”

Chanyeol was born with a sigil, Baekhyun was born human. It seemed the world didn’t care how the story went. Bestowing dormant magic in a human that benefited from it, and taking away magic from a witch who needed it. It also explained why Chanyeol was able to activate that rune made of sugar in order to escape the exploding mist. He was weakened from his powers, but in Baekhyun’s presence he was able to hold out. Then, just when his body was ready to cave in, it was  _ Baekhyun _ who gave him the surge of energy needed to save them.

All those weird little events began to add up, and Chanyeol would have never guessed it was because he shared a soul.

With a human no less.

There was a tentative knock at the door, a young boy with Chanyeol’s sigil emblazoned on his arm band peeking in. He was clearly startled by all the scrutinizing eyes, shrinking slightly as he eyed Junmyeon.

“Am I interrupting something?”

Sehun cackled, the sound causing the young witch to flinch. Chanyeol rolled his eyes, shoving his second in command out of the way to sneak into the boys line of sight. He visibly relaxed at his coven leader's presence, bowing with a grin from behind the door.

“What is it Jeno?”

Jeno’s smile dimmed slightly, back to flickering his eyes over to Sehun. “That oddball prosecutor has gotten permission to call you as a witness.”

“They can’t call a defendant to the stand without their permission.” Sehun growled, Chanyeol putting his arm back to stop him from stalking further forward and scaring the kid.

“But that’s the thing.” Jeno whispered, checking something behind him and peeling his head back in. “She doesn’t want to call him for the trial, she wants to call him to the stand to validate  _ that _ .”

Chanyeol turned to see the boy pointing at Baekhyun’s sigil, the human sweating slightly as his face was screwed tight in discontent.

“Why does she need a verification?” Sehun hissed, Jeno flinching back. “That thing looks pretty real to me.”

“That’s not what I meant-“

“Well then spit it out!”

Chanyeol would have to reconsider his second in command position, Sehun  _ really _ wasn’t suited for leadership. Dictatorship though? Absolutely. It worried the coven leader sometimes.

“She thinks you’ve forced magic onto him to silence his testimony.” Jeno blurted, quickly darting back when Sehun yelled at him.

“She said  _ what?! _ “

————————————

Chanyeol understood now why Baekhyun didn’t like the stand.

The chair wasn’t cushioned, it was rickety, small, and just an unpleasant thing to be in. He didn’t like how he had to be the one up here to explain that he didn’t fake a  _ sigil _ , which is  _ impossible _ to do, to an ignorant woman who hated his guts. Wendy had called him a monster, roped him in with the other two like some common criminal. The witch was sure this was discrimination, or maybe just grasping at straws.

“Mr. Park.” The elf was more subdued then when she was with Baekhyun. “Can you explain to the court what a sigil is?”

The entire defense table laughed at his expense, Judge Choi giving the trio a warning gavel.

The coven leader sighed. “A sigil is a mark of leadership in the witching world. They’re the top of our hierarchy and give advanced magical abilities to their wielder.”

“So.” Wendy smiled venomously after him. “Only  _ witches _ can have sigils?”

“There has been no precedent to state otherwise.” But Chanyeol quickly cut off her next question. “Until today.”

“Are you saying Mr. Byun received this sigil  _ today? _ “

God, Chanyeol hated lawyers. Splitting hairs and nitpicking into oblivion, only to twist those hairs into their own little braid. “No, it was last night.”

Wendy stopped where she’d been slowly pacing. “What were you two doing last night that warranted Mr. Byun to be with you?”

Chanyeol smiled just as bitchy back to her, thinking she had him. “I’m not at liberty to say.”

He tapped his sigil, reveling in the way her brow twitched.

“Well, in order for this court to validate whether or not this is even  _ legal _ , you’re going to need to answer my questions.”

Chanyeol leaned back in the shitty seat, hiking up his shoulders. “I’ll do my best sweetheart.”

“Don’t call me that.”

“Whatever you want sweetheart.”

Yerim was cackling silently with Kyowon, the two most ugly beings in the entire room. Eunjae didn’t seem amused though, watching the cobalt witch like how a hawk would watch their prey. Circling high above ground, but a speck in the vast expanse of the sky. But Chanyeol could see him clearly, he wouldn’t be fooled.

“Mr. Park.” Chanyeol broke off his staring contest to look the elf up and down.

“Yes?”

Wendy’s hands squeezed tighter around each other. “How did Mr. Byun come to develop a sigil?”

Chanyeol inhaled deeply, holding it in and trying to think how he could word it. “After the incident outside the courthouse yesterday, I went home to my skyscraper. Baekhyun was waiting there, and next thing I know it’s there!”

Sehun snickered from the benches. Wendy, on the other hand, didn’t seem as amused.

“I’m sorry, maybe I wasn’t clear with my question.” The elf drew closer and leaned on the walls of the witness box, narrowing her eyes as she asked as sweetly as possible. “Did you commit an intimidate act that resulted in the sigil being branded on Byun’s forehead?”

Chanyeol leaned forward as well, smirking as he tilted his head. “Why? Are you jealous?”

Kyowon burst into riotous laughter, ever the raunchy one. A few other witches behind him in the audience areas were snickering as well, Jongin smacking Sehun as the latter was cackling quietly.

“If you won’t answer my questions, we’re going to have a problem here.” Chanyeol found it hard to take the woman seriously when her face was beet red.

“Ask me some good ones and I’ll  _ think _ about it.” Chanyeol clicked his tongue as he stretched his arms above his head, trying to readjust his seat.

“How did you make Baekhyun succumb to your black magic?”

Chanyeol stopped fiddling with his seat, turning his body back to face Wendy and her impish little face. Kyowon stopped his chuckles, everyone other than the prosecutor having noticed the ten degree drop in the room.

“Excuse me?”

“It’s a simple question. How did you make him submit? Did you have one of your lackeys hold him down, did you have him chained to the floor, or do you take it upon yourself to restrain him with your magic?”

Chanyeol growled, sigil burning a bright blue. “You have some  _ fucking _ nerve.”

“Answer the question Park.”

The coven leader guffawed, slamming his palm into the polished wood beside him. “I didn’t make  _ anybody _ submit to me.”

Suddenly, Chanyeol stood up. He towered over the petite elf and she grew dark in his blackened shadow. He smiled with every tooth on display, twisting the edges into a snarl as he leaned over to get closer to the lawyer. He could  _ smell _ the fear wafting off of her, her eyes beginning to dart anywhere but towards him. This is what the witch enjoyed about being a coven leader, even if people said they weren’t scared, you get him pissed enough and they’ll cower.

“I didn’t put any magic in him, I didn’t  _ fake _ a sigil, and I would  _ never _ harm Baekhyun. Wherever you’re getting this information from, you can take it and shove it up your  _ ass _ . I love that man and if you  _ dare _ try to say otherwise, I’ll personally see to it that you’ll be  _ corrected _ .”

With that, Chanyeol left the stand.

————————————

“What’d I miss?” Baekhyun asked sleepily, snuggling further into the couch as Chanyeol slipped off his suit jacket.

“Don’t worry about it.” The human smiled softly when he felt a gentle kiss being placed pleasantly on his forehead, setting his skin alight. He was feeling much better ever since Chanyeol brought him home, vision no longer swimming or feeling close to vomiting. The human had heard sparse conversation when in the restroom, but not enough to draw a solid conclusion. He was going to have to ask his witch about this whole ‘sigil’ ordeal in the morning.

Or so he thought.

Baekhyun didn’t know how much time had passed before the distinct sound of glass crashing to the floor jolted him from his slumber. Chanyeol came rushing out of the study, bemused when he saw Baekhyun’s sleepy form still sprawled out on the couch. That was until Jongin came barreling out of the kitchen, wearing a robe over his matching rubber ducky pajama set. Baekhyun kind of squinted at him from the couch, vaguely offended he didn’t have a pair of such cute pajamas.

“Courthouse. Now.”

Chanyeol rubbed his tired eyes and looked at his watch. “Jongin, it’s  _ three am _ .”

“They’ve reached a verdict.”

The coven leader just eyed the disgruntled witch, stuck between shocked and too tired for this shit. “What do you mean ‘reached a verdict’, there haven’t been closing statements yet.”

“I don’t know! All I know is that I got scared awake by an overgrown snake with a handsome face that never sleeps who told me that the caladrius called. Someone’s reached a deal with that Wendy chick, and we need to go  _ now _ .”

Baekhyun had fallen asleep in his dark grey suit, so he simply rolled off the couch and slipped into his shoes. Chanyeol didn’t own anything other than suits or sweatpants, and he too, hadn’t changed. Both fast walked towards the elevator as Jongin teleported away, supposedly to go wake the slumbering silver beast.

Yuta was running laps around the lobby, eighties music blasting over the speakers as Sicheng sat coiled in the corner  _ knitting _ . Baekhyun thought he was still half asleep, this couldn’t be what reptiles did in their free time. Yuta was quick to spot the weirded out duo and waved animatedly towards them. “You ready to go?”

Baekhyun came to the conclusion that the foreign male was just always hyped up on cocaine. It was the only reasonable explanation.

The drive over to the courthouse was reminiscent of when Baekhyun had tagged along with Chanyeol to do his super secret coven business. Except this time he was snuggled up to the witch as he slept, groggily being awoke when they arrived. As soon as they stepped onto the empty sidewalk, Jongin zipped into existence with a very unhappy looking Sehun. The witch still had on a silky sleep mask, the fabric pushing back his silver fringe as he glared at everyone in his general vicinity.

“Don’t. Even.” Baekhyun raised his hands, backing away.

“Nice mask asshole.” The witch glared at the cackling reptilian driver, forcefully swiping his hand up to shut the window.

“Can we get this over with? I want to go back to sleep~”

“Don’t whine Sehun, it makes you ugly.” Chanyeol pushes away the males pouting face and Baekhyun giggled as he followed behind. It hadn’t really hit any of them what was happening, or much less had  _ already _ happened. Baekhyun pondered who could’ve struck a deal with that demon of a woman Wendy, such a shady elf. In fact, she seemed  _ nothing _ like an elf. Not like the lowlifes, and definitely not like Luhan.

As they padded quietly down the courthouse corridors, Baekhyun found himself reaching for Chanyeol’s hand. He leaned against the witch as they walked, swaying their arms idly as he tried to hope for the best. Everything about this felt so  _ surreal _ . This couldn’t truly be the end...could it?

Sehun opened the door and their small group filed into the only lit room in the entire building. A few lone candles were flickering as Judge Choi sat with his ceremonial robes sling over his shoulders, it seemed they weren’t the only ones given a ride awakening. To the right stood Kyowon and Wendy, the creepy elf still smiling as bright as can be. There was no way she slept, ever. Yerim was slumped by the wall with Eunjae slinking in the shadows beside her. There was two guards stationed by the door, ogres.

“Don’t blame me.” The caladrius mumbled, exasperated. “It was her doing.”

Everyone looked over to Wendy, the lawyer waving excitedly to all of them.

“I have struck a deal with Mr. Kyowon over here.” Wendy excitedly clapped her hands. “And you’ll be happy to know that it was approved by dear Judge Choi-“

“You wouldn’t let me say  _ no _ , you wouldn’t leave Taemin alone!” The elf ignored the outburst, plowing on as if the vexed male didn’t exist.

“Kyowon here is going into protective custody and will be joining with the police force to use his knowledge as a coven leader to crack down on black magic usage! He’ll be fulfilling this as his punishment for the next lifetime!”

Baekhyun gaped. Everyone staring at Kyowon and the overzealous elf. Was he  _ seriously _ let off just like that? Why would Judge Choi ever  _ approve _ of this? Better question, why would  _ Wendy _ propose such a deal? Kyowon was an evil man with blatant evidence against him, he had  _ sacrificed people! _ This wasn’t even a slap on the wrist, this was spitting in Baekhyun and three months of his life spent in fear of  _ death _ .

“No only that!”  _ She’s not done yet?! _ “But Chanyeol!”

_ Oh god _ , Baekhyun felt his heart plummet as her grin widened. The human squeezed his lovers hand as they waited in agonizing silence as she drew out her pause.

“You’ve been freed of all charges! Congratulations! You’re a free man!”

Baekhyun was reeling. Did he just- did she say- is Chanyeol- what?

“Huh?” Chanyeol replied dumbly, staring at the people gathered in a line courthouse room at three in the morning. Was this how his personal hell ended? With some creepy bitch telling him all that struggle he’s been dragged through for  _ months _ was all for naught? It was so bittersweet Chanyeol didn’t know how to feel. Grateful? Or cheated?

“Kyowon testified your innocence in his statement, turns out you're not so bad of a guy. Makes me wonder why you’re here to begin with.” Baekhyun was going to scream.

“As for Eunjae.” The last of the coven leaders glanced up from his nails, slimy eyes blinking slowly through oily bangs. “You’ll be exonerated of your sigil and your coven tried for capital crimes against the city of Seoul. I would like to ask you to please come along without struggle.”

His eyes widened. “Are you serious?”

The ogres by the door lumbered over, lifting their fists and slamming them against the floor. Wendy smiled, she always smiled. “Kyowon has made a very  _ lengthy _ statement over all the crimes you’ve committed and forced him to do for you and your illegal agenda. I’m afraid we have no choice but to have you put down.”

Chanyeol grabbed Baekhyun and pulled him back as the ogres began to hobble over, Eunjae’s face darkening with realization. “You fucking  _ traitor! _ “

Green snakes of energy hissed out from his shaking hands, bouncing against an invisible wall with each of his enraged throws. Each contact revealed a flashing red bubble, the half sphere entrapping Eunjae and his magic. The coven leader didn’t have enough time to try and break out before the ogres ambled in, suctioning into the flexible field as if it were a literal bubble. The witch began to throw out balls of green light, trying to hit the creatures back as he was backed into a wall.

Baekhyun watched with sick fascination as green goo oozed from the coven leader's skin, like a coat of slime. The ogres tried to grab him, but the much smaller occult was dancing around their feet. But when one of the ogres went to grab him, as soon as it’s hands made contact with his skin, smoke rose from its flesh. It drew an enraged roar from the monstrous beast, the poisonous substance burning it like acid.

Eunjae was manically screaming as he tried to smear the beasts in his toxin, but ogres were one of the  _ hardest _ things to kill on the planet. Baekhyun almost didn’t want to look as one of them was able to land a swing, sending the smaller occult ragdolling to the ground. Right as Eunjae flipped onto his back, the second ogre placed its cloven foot on his chest. The witch screamed as it broke his ribs, even as acid chewed through its thick hide.

Chanyeol held the human closer, angling him away as the beasts picked up the man from the ground.

“You  _ bastard _ .” Eunjae spat, murderous eyes tearing apart the crimson witch. “I  _ made _ you, we’ve worked together for  _ years _ . You’ve killed and eaten more humans than any creature I’ve ever  _ met _ , and yet you’re to send me to my death?!  _ I am no animal _ .”

To Chanyeol, the older man was more mad than witch. Ever since he rose to power he’d abused forbidden magic, drank it up like water. Over the years, Eunjae was slowly chipped away and replaced with something even more devious. He was a creature of the shadows, more dependent on death than the Grim Reaper. It was a sad decent of madness for a man who had been so clever and bright, only to submit to the Void. He was no witch, he was a  _ monster _ .

The coven leader felt no pity for the man, if he could even be called such anymore. As reality set in he was no longer the conniving and sinister puppeteer, he was foaming at the mouth and barking like a feral animal. Eunjae was panicking, thrashing against the ogres and twisting his broken ribs in his haste to get away. He was cursing and spewing nonsensical slurs at Kyowon, and as he was dragged away, he turned his attention to Baekhyun.

“You! You were supposed to die all those weeks ago! I've expended myself to summon that Traeger! You should’ve been dead- DEAD!”

Chanyeol turned him away, pressing his head into his chest as he whispered over the madman’s screams. Even when the coven leader turned to wrench into the wound that was Taewoong, Chanyeol paid no heed. Only held his human closer, swaying slightly in place as Sehun and Jongin stared out of the opened door in perturbed transfixion. Eunjae’s screams echoed long after he’d been dragged away, spewing out wailed screams until his voice gurgled off.

Baekhyun breathed in deep, shaking slightly as his mind tried to process how quick the animal attacked when it was cornered.

“Well.” Wendy clasped her hands together, the human flinching at the sudden noise. “Now wasn’t that interesting! Anyways~ I just need you to sign these forms Mr. Park and you’ll be free to go out and celebrate a free man!”

Even after Chanyeol sighed the agreements and Yerim signed away Eunjae, Baekhyun couldn’t shake the feeling of how odd the whole encounter was. It just seemed so  _ easy _ . Wendy bid them all goodnight as she disappeared into the darkness of the corridor, Kyowon soon to follow after. Sehun scratched his head and looked towards Jongin, the latte shrugging noncommittally.

“What do we do now?” Now  _ that _ was the million dollar question. Baekhyun hadn’t the slightest idea, looking over to Chanyeol for an answer. The coven leader was deep in thought, the human could tell something was bothering him.

“Show Baekhyun his surprise.” The human tilted his head towards his lover, about to open his mouth to ask when Jongin beat him to it.

“Are you sure? I thought we were going to wait-“

“Until the trial was over.” Sehun cut in, raising one perfectly straight and judgy brow. Jongin paused, cogs turning and flushing red.

“Y-Yeah, okay, fair enough.”

“What surprise?” Baekhyun questioned, all the witches turning to him as if remembering his presence.

“Well it wouldn’t be a surprise if I told you, now would it?” Chanyeol smiled mischievously, grasping Baekhyun’s hips and pulling him in for a chaste kiss. “I’ll met you there.”

Before he could ask, Sehun and Jongin were dragging Baekhyun away. Neither would give him any hints as they shoved him into the car, Jongin disappearing and Sehun shutting the door. Yuta exchanged a look with the witch and off they went, into the night. Sehun finally took off his mask and diligently fixed his hair in the window, scrubbing the residual sleep off his face.

“You  _ seriously _ won’t tell me where we’re going? Or, you know, all that shit that just happened?”

Sehun hiked up his shoulders as if to say ‘fuck if I know’. Baekhyun didn’t appreciate the answer, or lack thereof. They drove in relative silence as Yuta drove without headlights, but the human had stopped asking questions a while ago.

“You know...you’re not too bad Baekhyun.” The human did a double take as he gaped at the witch, was he being  _ nice _ . Was that a  _ compliment?? _

“Close your mouth, you look like a fish.” His cold fingers pressed his jaw back into place, faint smile gracing his lips before it disappeared. But he couldn’t fool Baekhyun.

“We never got to talk about what you did last week, when you covered for me. I mean, the lie was subpar at best. I wouldn’t have been convinced, but you know...it’s the thought that counts.”

“Is this your own little way of saying thank you?” Baekhyun’s face split into a shit-eating grin, attempting to press his lips together and suppress it but unable to stop the giddiness.

“Ugh.” Sehun shoved Baekhyun away, rubbing his nose but the human could see the blush in his cheeks as clear as day. “I’m just saying you didn’t have to lie for me. I was such an asshole to you for no reason, I said such hateful things-“

“Sehun.” Baekhyun placed a hand on the witch’s pale one, smiling earnestly as he grasped his cool fingers. “It’s okay, I forgive you.”

“But why?” Sehun looked so lost and confused, staring down at their hands as if it was a ploy against him. “I don’t deserve your kindness, I don’t  _ deserve _ your forgiveness.”

“Sehun, all that matters is that you know you did something wrong and you're trying to make up for it. Yeah, you were a major bitch and made my life a living hell. But it’d been  _ even more _ unfair if I couldn’t see that you were acting that way for a reason.” Baekhyun paused, curling his legs beneath his body as he spoke past the blockage in his esophagus. Great, he was getting emotional again. “You care for Chanyeol, and I was a stranger that you saw as a threat. You were doing what you thought was right, you were trying to  _ protect _ your home. I understand that Sehun, and it’s okay. I appreciate you for who you are, and all your plentiful flaws.”

The silver witch swiped away at some tears as they fell, sniffling and trying to cover it as a cough. He pulled his hand away and crossed his arms defensively, but it didn’t dim Baekhyun’s mood. As snarky and snappish as Sehun had been to him, the human didn’t hold that against him. This was his way of apologizing, and Baekhyun felt his heart fill at the awkward gesture.

“I change my mind.” Sehun mumbled. “You’re the one who’s too good for Chanyeol.”

Baekhyun threw his head back in genuine laughter, so distracted by his heartwarming conversation with Sehun to notice where they were. The car stopped and Yuta turned off the ignition, tossing up the keys and stepping out of the Phantom. The combination of tinted windows and the early morning darkness made it impossible for Baekhyun to grasp where they had parked. He looked at Sehun for guidance, but even with their heart to heart, he kept quiet.

“Let’s hope you like this surprise.”

Then Baekhyun was left in the car alone, watching as Sehun began to walk towards where light was permeating from the ground. The human quickly slipped out and jumped as the car locked, hearing Yuta’s fading cackles. He’ll never understand that creature.

“C'mon, the party’s getting started.”

“What party?” But just as Baekhyun drew close, faint music began to filter into the air with its faint melodious beat. Something about the place as glaringly familiar, but the human wouldn’t put a finger on it until he reached Sehun. Behind the witch was a set of smoothed cement steps that lowered into a small alcove, a freshly painted green door with smattered stained glass sitting at the bottom.

“No way...” His heart stopped, turning his head to look up at the nonchalant witch. “Did you guys  _ buy the place? _ “

Sehun shrugged, unable to stop the grin from worming it’s way onto his face. “It was the scene of a historical massacre  _ and _ Taewoong’s, surprisingly not many people wanted it.”

Baekhyun felt shook as he peeked down the stairs again, gentle strobes of light piercing through the door and decorating the ground in shards of color.  _ The Stained Glass _ . It’d been three months and the place still stood, reinvigorated if the newly redone entrance was anything to go by. The human felt like he was entering a whole other world as he began to descend the stairs, a slight tremor to his hand as he reached for the door handle.

The bell rung, but it was lost to all the noise of the lively pub. No longer was it a rickety old hole in the wall with wooden booths that left you with splinters, but a classy cousin with  _ money _ . The floors were giant black and white tiles that had specks of colorful sparkles that shined the ceiling in a splatter of stars. The tables were of modern design, their sleek legs curving inwards with several pairs of tall bar stools flanking their sides. Concrete booths lined the walls with leather seats, shiny table tops floating above the ground.

But bar itself was the  _ true _ masterpiece. Levitating shelves held a whole  _ assortment _ of alcohol, the backing one giant box of light that changed with whatever song was playing. Circles in the ceiling ebbed with the music, following along with the melody in faint light changes. Witches from the Horned Moon Coven were  _ everywhere _ , populating the lively space with animated chatter and happy clinks. None took notice of Baekhyun as he entered, Sehun walking in behind him.

“So, how’s the surprise?”

Baekhyun was speechless. This couldn’t be the same place as where this all started...the same place that single handedly ruined and rebuilt his life in one night. He felt like he should be crying, this was the humans first time stepping into the establishment since the massacre. Part of him thought it was inappropriate, but the larger portion appreciated all the work the coven had put in to give Baekhyun a chance at closure. It was a rebirth, a second chance.

“I’m...speechless.”

“Clearly.” The witch’s snorted. “Chanyeol should be here soon. Don’t get too drunk.”

Sehun then walked into the crowd, several witches noticing his presence and sobering up to bow at him. He chuckled and ruffled the hair of one of the boys, who looked oddly like Jeno. Baekhyun smiled, but was unable to unroot himself from his spot by the door. It was all so surreal, he entered through the same door but was greeted by a different place than what haunted his nightmares. It made him so unbelievably full, hugging himself as he searched the crowd.

“ _ Baekhyun! _ “ Jongdae came barreling towards him in pajama pants and a shirt that wasn’t his own. He was splashing his alcohol over the sides of his glass, embracing his friend in a less than sober hug. “It’s like- four am!”

Baekhyun winced at the volume of his voice, but laughed all the same. “It’s pretty early isn’t it?”

“I’m gonna call in sick tomorrow!” The human giggled, going to take another swig when Minseok swept in and snatched the cup away.

“I think that’s enough for you-“ Jongdae began to whine, stumbling on his two left feet as he reached for the tumbler. Oh how the tables have turned.

“I’m going to go get a drink.” Minseok vaguely acknowledged Baekhyun as he wrestled Jongdae away from his alcohol, the human walking away from the adorable couple. As soon as he walked to the bar top, he was surprised to see Sicheng slithering over as he shook up a cocktail.

“You’re a bartender?” The gorgon shrugged as Yuta went bouncing behind him to grab obscenely large ice cubes, pulling out a tumbler and pouring the mysterious substance in. He slid the drink to Baekhyun, the human taking a sip and coughing at the forgotten burn.

“Pays well.” He said thickly, smiling as he slithered away. Baekhyun vaguely wondered who pulled the short straw in protecting the Scraper, when there was a tap at his shoulder.

“Junmyeon!” Baekhyun hugged his friend in earnest, beaming when the fey laughed at his reaction.

“Just came to congratulate you on not having your boyfriend being sent to prison, pretty big deal.”

The human giggled as he swirled his drink absently. “You have  _ no _ idea.”

Baekhyun began to wander around after a while, inspecting every corner of the renovated pub with an impressed nod of the head. It was when he managed to get over to the booths when frigid, wet hands clasped the sides of his neck. The human screeched and jumped back, furiously wiping at his now wet neck as a deep voice began to laugh at his expense.

“You’re an asshole, you know that right?”

Chanyeol stopped his fit of laughter when he saw his human's petulant pout, cooing as he pinched his cheeks. “But you love me~”

Baekhyun slapped away the hands, crossing his hands and facing away from the witch. Unaffected, the coven leader slithered his hands around the humans waist and settled the jut of his jaw on his shoulder. Chanyeol kissed the junction below the jaw nearest to the ear, nuzzling his face into the human's neck.

“How do you like your surprise?”

Baekhyun sighed, already over acting like he was mad. He didn’t know how to articulate into words his appreciation for all of  _ this _ . The remodel, the money and labor spent on it, just  _ everything _ . The human just ended up opening and closing his mouth like a dying fish, laughing awkwardly as he simply said. “I love it.”

“But not as much as you love me, right?” Baekhyun hummed in thought.

“I don’t know about  _ that _ -“

He squealed when the witch pinched his ribs, whacking at the hands around his waist that wouldn’t let go. Baekhyun felt so carefree and easy going in Chanyeol’s presence, laughing freely and being himself in full. It was such a refreshing feeling, being himself and being  _ in love _ . Baekhyun had never felt so happy, weirdly grateful for all that has happened to him. Though he hoped it never happened again, his heart couldn’t handle it.

“We just have  _ one _ more thing to settle.” Chanyeol whispered lowly in his ear, husky voice ghosting over his ear as he side eyed the crowd. Baekhyun felt chills run down his spine, a sprinkling of trepidation latching onto his heart.

“What kind of  _ thing? _ “

Chanyeol led him across the pseudo dance floor, passing several tables in the process. Baekhyun still had his drink in hand, eyes widening when he saw Luhan and Seungyeon along with the rest of the squadron sitting at one of the tables. The elf made eye contact and smiled a small smile, raising his drink as the rest followed suit. The human raised his as well, feeling so inexplicably happy.

Chanyeol led him to a sleek black door, holding his hand up to the doorknob-free portal. Baekhyun couldn’t hear the click over the changing music, but the witch opened the door anyway and pulled Baekhyun in.

Silence shrouded them, the pair in a stout hallway with storage spaces on all sides. There was a plain oak door at the end and Chanyeol opened the portal, ushering the human inside. It was a simple office area, cheap desk and spinning office chair stationed behind it. A few unpacked boxes littered the corners and another door was on the right side of the room. Baekhyun went to go observe a painting that leaned against the bottom of the wall, Chanyeol sitting in the spinning chair.

“What are we doing here?”

Chanyeol shrugged. “Waiting.”

“Waiting for what-“

Suddenly, the side door was flung open. Two witches dressed in dark clothes were dragging in a stout man with a black bag over his head, Johnny bringing in the back as he calmly closed the door behind him. Baekhyun stood shocked at the scene in front of him, inching over to Chanyeol and setting his tumbler down.

“What’s going on here?” Baekhyun asked Chanyeol, slightly panicked as one of the unfamiliar witches kicked the back of the man’s knees and sent him kneeling on the ground. “Who is that?”

As if to answer the question, Chanyeol made a motion to one of the underlings. They ripped off the bag and Baekhyun gasped as Kyowon’s ugly mug was revealed. His nose was busted and he was snarling through his his gag, the crimson witch struggling against his charmed bounds. Baekhyun felt so out of the loop, having just seen the coven leader not even an  _ hour _ ago. It was so odd, such a powerful man and yet here he was, bloodied and slightly beaten on the floor.

“Remove the gag.”

One of the witches untied the gag, Kyowon spitting and sputtering as he began to immediately curse. “What the  _ fuck _ do you think you’re doing! I saved your ass and  _ this _ is the thanks I get?!”

The man was roaring, skirting and struggling until his captor kicked him in the stomach. She was a lithe and tall woman with feline features and a long scar along her jaw. As pretty as she looked, Baekhyun could tell she was lethal. Of her pointed boots weren’t enough of an indicator as she jabbed them into Kyowon.

“You see.” Chanyeol tsked. “I have reason to believe that you’re  _ lying _ .”

The man reeled, sputtering as enraged spittle flew from his jacked lips. “What the fuck are you talking about?”

“Oh.” Chanyeol smiled sadistically, conjuring a straight dagger from his hand and twisting it between his fingers. “I think you know what I’m talking about.”

Baekhyun definitely didn’t, feeling lost as he leaned against the desk and inappropriately sipped his cocktail.

“You see, there are several things that just don’t sit right with me Kwan.” Chanyeol sighed as he got out of his seat, looking down at his blade in thought. “And I think...you may be able to clear up some things.”

“You’re fucking crazy-“ The female witch kicked him again, drawing a wheeze from the coven leader.

“I find it so  _ odd _ , that Wendy character. Wasn’t she weird Baekhyun?” The human frozen at being mentioned, doe eyes widened as he looked between the two leaders.

“Uh yeah? Pretty weird.”

“I began to wonder.” Chanyeol drawled, flipping the dagger absently. “ _ Why _ she was so odd. You know what I found Kyowon?”

The witch was silent, glaring scornfully with his beast red eyes. The witch kicked him again, but he didn’t have anything to say.

“I’ll tell you since you aren’t being so talkative anymore. Turns out-“ Chanyeol turned on his heel to point the dagger at Kyowon. “There is no Wendy Son in the justice system, not a  _ single one _ . It’s not a common name either.”

“At first I thought I made a mistake.” Chanyeol began to pace behind the desk, glinting the metals blade in the amber light. “But when I researched further, I found something  _ amazing _ .”

Kyowon tried to get up, to run, Baekhyun guessed, but both of his captors beat him back onto his knees. The female drew out a saber of neon pink light, holding it to the man’s neck that was held back by the more subdued male captor.

“There was no Wendy Son, but there  _ is _ a Shon Seungwan. And would you believe it-“ Chanyeol dug his dagger into the wood of his desk, embedding it as he leaned over to tower over Kyowon. “She’s in  _ your _ coven. Wanna know her gift? Mind control over  _ anyone she sleeps with _ , I mean  _ really _ Kyowon?”

“You  _ psycho _ \- let me go!”

“You want to know another thing I found strange?” Chanyeol continued, ignoring the other leader's grunts. “When Eunjae was being hauled away, he admitted to sicking a Traeger on Baekhyun...yet said  _ nothing _ about all the mercenary attacks.”

Kyowon struggled as Chanyeol sauntered around the desk, the light of the witch’s saber singeing his patchy scruff. “I have to give you credit Kyowon, you could‘ve had me fooled.”

Chanyeol crouched down to be eye level with the crimson witch, the latter saying  _ nothing _ as they stared. “If only Eunjae hadn’t gone so noisily, maybe then I wouldn’t have put two and two together. But unfortunately for you Kyowon...I don’t take to being attacked very well.”

Baekhyun’s eyes widened as his jaw dropped. For three months he had assumed Eunjae to have been trying to kill him, sending out witches to silence his testimony. The human didn’t even  _ know _ who Kyowon was beside the third, much uglier, witch of the Covens Three. He was overshadowed by Chanyeol’s enigmatic intrigue and Eunjae’s deceptive reputation, simply known as the ‘cruel’ one. He had no idea why Kyowon wanted him dead and Eunjae had simply given up.

“That  _ delusion bitch _ was so caught up in why his black magic didn’t work on that  _ whore _ that he refused to kill him. Eunjae became  _ obsessed _ with him, some fucking puzzle to be solved. He was going to fuck us both!”

Chanyeol smiled understandingly, clasping his hands in front of him as Kyowon began to rant.

“I had to get rid of that  _ thing _ -“ He jerked his head in the direction of Baekhyun, the human stiffening as his blood ran cold. “Before he killed me! Eunjae was too far gone, and after that last attempt failed-“

“The mall.” Chanyeol supplied.

“ _ Yes _ . After those mercenaries came back empty handed, I had to take manners into my own hands.”

“So, you implanted ‘Wendy’ after you realized that the other prosecutor wasn’t asking Baekhyun about me. You figured you could send him away for contempt,  _ or _ have him turn against me and send me to death with you.”

“But it didn’t work.” Kyowon hissed, face twisted in a scowl as he glared murderously at Baekhyun. “Next thing I know that fucker has a sigil and suddenly everything has gone to  _ shit _ . I forced Seungwan to get me the fuck out of there and get rid of Eunjae.”

“But why didn’t you get rid of Chanyeol?” Baekhyun piped up. “Get rid of the competition?”

“Because I have nothing on him!” The witch boomed, Baekhyun flinching back. “Even if I could get him, his whole damn  _ coven _ would have my head on a stake before I could even leave the courthouse.”

Chanyeol smiled, seemingly satisfied. “So you took the risk and saved me too, hoping I’d be so blinded by you ‘saving my life’ to realize that you’ve already attempted to kill me before and Baekhyun  _ three times? _ “

Kyowon scoffed. “You said it yourself, you could’ve been fooled.”

Chanyeol hummed. “Only, I  _ wasn’t _ .”

The coven leader got back up, yanking out the knife he’d embedded into his desk. The crimson witched guffawed, the loud laughs turning into full on cackles as he observed Chanyeol with the dagger.

“What are you going to do? Kill me? You’d can inherent my sigil and entire  _ coven _ .”

Chanyeol tilted his head, feigning confusion. “Who said anything about  _ me _ killing you?”

Kyowon’s face mirrored Chanyeol’s, eyes widening as he gasped. The dagger in the coven leader's hand had gone flying across the room, the metal liquefying as it hovered in Johnnys hand. He sent the swirling balls of metal  _ straight _ into the coven leaders chest, curling his hand into a fist as spikes of iron protruded from his chest. Kyowon’s captors stepped back, the man thudding lifelessly to the ground.

Blood pooled onto the floor, the red of his sigil dying out until nothing but the charred shape of a hexagram was left on his forehead. Johnny took in a sharp inhale, eyes glowing red as the sigil slowly burned into his head. The female witch held him up as the sigil branded his forehead, Johnny letting out a shaky breath as he stared down at his hands.

Chanyeol smiled approvingly, clasping the younger mans shoulder. “I trust you to clean house well ally.”

Johnny looked up with red rimmed irises, a light scarlet compared to Kyowon’s dark crimson. He smiled as he clasped his old leaders hand, shaking it as he smiled genuinely. “I think you’ll always be my leader Chanyeol.”

The coven leader smiled as he hugged Johnny, patting him on the back as he motioned for the other two witches. “Get rid of him will you? He’s staining the carpet.”

Johnny laughed, the witches grumbling as they heaved Kyowon’s cooling body and dragged it outside. The new coven leader saluted Chanyeol as he was halfway out of the door. “I’ll see you around Park Chanyeol.”

“Likewise, friend.”

After the door shut, the witch turned to see Baekhyun was still staring at the pools of blood that stained the carpet. Right where Kyowon used to be.

“Hey.” Chanyeol grazed his fingertips along the humans jaw, drawing his gaze away from the floor. “You do understand this is who I am right? I’m a witch, I’m a leader. There are certain things I have to do even if you don’t like them...it’s why I brought you here. You deserve the right to choose.”

Chanyeol grabbed Baekhyun’s limp hands and stared him in the eyes, searching the coffee brown and delving into the human's vibrant soul. “You can leave if you want, I won’t be mad and I won’t hunt you down. You can go back to your normal life and look back at this as a bad memory, or maybe even a good one. Don’t feel pressured to stay, I could never forgive myself if I took away your choices for my own selfish desires.”

Baekhyun’s face was blank, lips in a neutral line as he kept his gaze with the witch.

“Who said I wanted normal?”

Chanyeol’s heart flipped, opening his mouth but Baekhyun raised his finger to shush him. “I think I can make my own decisions. That decision being that you were by far the  _ best _ thing that happened in my life, and I love you more than I have loved anybody else. I couldn’t forgive myself if I left just because you have to do some bad things for good reasons. I accept you for who you are. The good, the bad, and even the ugly.”

Chanyeol looked uneasy. “Are you sure?”

Baekhyun’s face fell. “Why would I make a whole ass speech just to say sike? How about you just shut up and kiss me already?”

Chanyeol laughed, quick to oblige as he leaned down and kissed the human like he’s never kissed him before.

“I love you my little Triple Goddess.”

Baekhyun giggled as he leaned his sigil against Chanyeol’s. “And I love  _ you _ my overgrown Horned God.”

“Now, get the fuck off me. Sehun told me I can pop some champagne- and Minseok would never let me do that because he said I was too dangerous with a cork.”

Chanyeol chuckled softly as he held his beautiful human closer. “Anything for you Baekhyun.”


End file.
